


sports anime one shots

by NatsuKyoya (Sherloaf_and_Beljohn)



Series: collection of one shots [2]
Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball, Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis, 弱虫ペダル | Yowamushi Pedal
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, eventually, possible triggers be careful kids, there will be nsfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-06-06 23:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6775126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherloaf_and_Beljohn/pseuds/NatsuKyoya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>sports anime one shots</p><p>lots of fem!reader x character, male!reader x character, etc. will put nsfw material, will update when inspiration comes</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. intro because

fandoms included:

kuroko no basket  
prince of tennis  
free!  
yowamushi pedal  
haikyuu  
prince of stride (alternative) 

ill post the same intro for every new collection of one shots. this is the sports section, as you can probably tell. 

please note there is a M rated warning because there will be mature themes and strong language despite me trying not to use it and failing to, it is needed for some one shots so there will be the f word and other things like that. xD i'll also be moving one shots from other stories onto here.

i won't be taking requests, but i welcome any ideas!


	2. kuroko no basket: akashi seijuro x male!reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [m/name] learns how to dance and akashi is possessive

_hahaha oops its 8 pages long_

~~

dancing

~~

“It’s not use... I can’t learn how to dance the waltz before the musical. This is ridiculous.” [m/name] sighed, falling in a chair and slumping back, his head falling over the back of the chair. “No one wanted to be my partner either... is that even allowed? Sensei said we needed someone to practice with...” Running a hand through his hair, [m/name] listened to the music he had put on to help get into the rhythm.

Rising from his chair, the [h/c] high schooler paused the music and yawned behind his hand. “It’s so late... I guess I’ll wrap up and go home.” Packing his things, he threw his bag over his shoulder to leave the school, shutting the door to the music room behind him. Walking down the hall, he passed by empty classrooms and made his way through quiet, still hallways. “This place sure is creepy after everyone goes home.” He sighs to himself. A room at the end of the hall catches his eye; the light is on.

He peeks through the door window, and is shocked to see the student council president, Akashi Seijuro. _‘He’s still here? Well... I guess it would make sense since he probably has a lot of work to do... wait, are first years even allowed to be here this late on Fridays? Oh wait, I’m a first year...’_ His train of thought is broken when Akashi’s sharp eyes dart to the door, and he jumps back, a gasp leaving his mouth. _‘Whoa! Creepy, it’s like he knows I’m here!’_ Taking this moment to leave, he jogs down the hall, intending to leave.

“You.” [m/name] freezes mid-step upon hearing the red-head’s voice, clear as day from behind him. He hadn’t even heard the door open! “What are you doing here? Student’s aren’t allowed to be here after the school closes.” Oh god, what does he do? [m/name] has heard the rumors about Akashi being a ruthless, terrifying first year, but on the other hand, he thinks he’ll be okay... maybe.

“Er, oh, you see, I was practicing for the school musical, and I was just going home...”

“Then what were you doing snooping around?” Akashi stares him down like a hawk, and [m/name] swallows.

“I-I was just curious as to why the light was on. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” he said, hoping it’ll get him out of any immediate trouble. “I was just going to leave, please don’t mind me.”

“Don’t order me.” Akashi narrows his eyes, and the other male shudders.

“S-sorry! I wasn’t trying to—really, I—“ He babbles, and begins to back away when the red-head walks towards him with a brisk, meaningful pace. “Uh, I-I’m sorry, so, uh...” His back hits a wall, and with a sudden twisting sensation of fear in his stomach, [m/name] realizes he’s shorter than the demonic student council president by at least five inches.

“You’re in the musical?” Akashi asks, his voice is rather soft, but [m/name] knows better than to antagonize him.

“Y-yes, I’m one of the supporting characters. We’re learning the waltz.” He says, suddenly glimpsing something sticking out of Akashi’s pocket. _‘Oh my god, is that a pair of scissors? Oh god, oh god—‘_

“The musical is a week away and you still don’t know how to waltz? Are you that clumsy?” Akashi barely raises an eyebrow, and [m/name] flushes slightly.

“Well, I-I don’t have a partner to practice with, so I’ve been trying to learn the steps by myself, but uh... it doesn’t work that well...” He tries to avoid Akashi’s piercing gaze, but he can still feel the pressure of his sharp eyes on him.

“You were supposed to pick partners at the beginning.” Akashi says.

“N-no one wanted to be my partner...” he mumbles, wanting to get swallowed up by the wall, “that’s why I’ve been practicing by myself.”

Akashi scrutinizes him for a moment, as if determining if he should sink his fangs into him or spare him (the other male hopes for the latter) before something like satisfaction flicks through his eyes, going unnoticed by the male he has currently pinned down against the wall. “Very well then. I will teach you.”

“Buh?” [m/name] looks up at Akashi with astonishment written all over his face, “But—“

“Are you defying me?” [m/name] feels a sinister chill run down his spine. “My orders are absolute.”

“Y-yes...”

Akashi hums slightly and steps back, finally giving [m/name] room to breathe. “We will meet every day after school the rest of the week. If I feel you are not meeting the standards I will double the time we practice. Understood?”

“Y-yes!” [m/name] has to suppress the urge to salute. Seemingly satisfied, the terrifying first year begins to walk back to the student council room. Watching him go with relief, [m/name] feels as if he should document this wondrous moment where he didn’t get stabbed in the gut by Akashi Seijuro.

“And another thing,” Akashi’s voice snaps him back to attention, “I won’t go easy on you, [m/name].” Nodding numbly, the [h/c] male watches as Akashi disappears through the door to the student council room. Singing to the floor, he sighs in relief, letting out the tension in his body.

“I might have just signed my death wish.” He mumbles. “Wait...” a thought dawns on him, “how does he know my name?”

...

Keeping to his word, Akashi strictly teaches [m/name] after school for two hours each day of that following week, starting Sunday. The musical is during the next weekend, so they’re cramming for time, but somehow, despite the humiliation of having to practice with the torso of a prop dummy, [m/name] begins to better understand the waltz. Also true to his word, Akashi’s lessons are tough, and sometimes [m/name] wishes he had never stumbled across him that evening, but deep down he’s extremely appreciative of the lessons.

That Tuesday, however, he realizes he might have not been taking these lessons as seriously as he thought. The night before, he had stayed up late studying, and was dead tired that entire morning. After fumbling several time and nearly tripping over his own feet twice, Akashi stops him, and [m/name] prepares himself for getting hit, stabbed, or any harsh words Akashi has to send his way. He receives none, instead a short command to sit down and gather his thoughts.

Akashi leaves him, and [m/name] wonders if his lack in dancing skills has finally driven him crazy. When he returns, however, he spots a drink in his hand. It’s tossed to him, and he fumbles with it a bit before holding it tight. “Drink this, and we’ll start again.” Akashi sits next to him, crossing his arms, and [m/name] nods.

“Thank you.” It’s green tea, and he can feel it calming his nerves. It doesn’t make him feel any more awake, but at least he can continue the lessons without being as jittery. As his sips his drink, [m/name] can’t help but glance at Akashi out of the corner of his eyes from time to time. His eyes are closed, but [m/name] knows better than to think he’s sleeping. He can’t help but think Akashi looks so peaceful, not like the rumors describe him; ruthless and terrifying.

“It’s rude to stare.” Almost choking on his tea, [m/name] fully turns to face Akashi, finding his piercing heterochromatic eyes staring right at him.

“I-I wasn’t staring,” he denies, turning away to finish his drink. “I’m going to throw this away.” He gets up to toss the can in the recycling bin, before going back to where Akashi was sitting. The torso is leaning against his chair, and [m/name] reaches down to pick it up so he can start practicing again, but Akashi’s voice stops him.

“No. We are doing to try something different.” He’s confused for a minute, “I will be your partner.”

And he’s panicking the next.

“E-eh? Is that going to be okay? We’re both guys!” [m/name] blurts out, _‘And I don’t think you want to play the role of the girl.’_

“Are you disobeying my orders?” Akashi’s eyes flash in warning, and the other male deflates slightly.

“N-no, I’m just wondering if we’ll be able to practice properly.”

“Of course. Don’t be worried over trivial matters.” Akashi says it like it’s no big deal, but [m/name] is inwardly panicking, and he’s still leaning over, hands stretched out towards the mannequin. “Come.” The next thing he knows, Akashi’s hand is wrapped around his, and his unoccupied arm is hanging limply over the red-head’s other arm. Akashi’s eyes are enchanting, and they’re only inches from his own, as his arm is wrapped firmly around his waist.

“E-eh??” [m/name] gapes. “A-Akashi-san, wai—“

“Now let’s begin.” Akashi says, already moving his feet. “Just follow my footsteps.”

“B-but Akashi-san—“ he has no room to protest, only flinch slightly as Akashi’s grip on him tightens, and he presses himself closer to [m/name]’s horribly confused form.

It’s easier said than done, and [m/name] mentally cries with relief as he narrowly avoids stepping on Akashi’s feet twice. After several minutes of trying to accept what was happening, [m/name] finally relaxes a bit and tries to focus on Akashi’s movements, rather than his firm stare. “Raise your head, your chin should be parallel to the floor. And don’t look away from your partner.” Akashi commands him as the two pause, using his hand to tilt the other male’s chin up. The [h/c] male finds his face heating up, to his horror, and he can only stutter out a small ‘r-right’ before they start again.

He’s glad they’re practicing when everyone is gone; he wouldn’t want to be watched by his peers as he danced with the Akashi Seijuro. He’s staring into Akashi’s eyes, and his feet are moving on their own, he’s not stumbling or worried about messing up, he’s only aware of the body pressed against his, and the unwavering face that is Akashi.

...

It’s Thursday when everything is thrown into chaos. The morning was perfectly fine, [m/name], feeling more confident as the days passed, was in a relatively good mood. His classes went by fine, and nothing seemed to stand out to him as odd. The end of the day was when things went downhill. He had arrived early to his lesson with Akashi, and had already gotten out the musical equipment and moved the chairs to create floor space, when the door opened. “Hm? It seems he’s not here...” Turning at the voice, [m/name] feels himself pale slightly at the sight of the ridiculously tall, pale student walking in.

_‘Is he really a student?? He’s so tall!’_ The giant locked gazes with him, and he smiled slightly.

“Hello. I was looking for Sei-chan. I hear he drops by here now and then, so I was wondering if he was currently here.

“E-eh? Akashi-kun? Ah, he’s not here at the moment. He might be in the student council room, though.” [m/name] says.

“Ah, I see. So _you’re_ the young man Sei-chan is teaching to dance.” [m/name] stiffens slightly at that. How many people did Akashi tell? Obviously, he has to be close to this person to tell them, but he can’t figure out what’s bothering him the most: if he wants to keep his lessons with Akashi a secret or if he’s envious of his relationship with this person. Noticing [m/name]’s tension, the male chuckles. “Don’t worry, Sei-chan only told me. I might have pried too much.” Watching the giant warily, he follows his movements around the room, looking at the posters hung upon the wall. “Hm... well, since Sei-chan might be late, want to try practicing with me? I know a thing or two about waltzing.”

“Er...” unsure of how to react, [m/name] settles for something that won’t hurt the other’s feelings. “That’s very nice of you, but I’m sure he won’t be long, so...”

“Ah, you’re still tense. Don’t worry Chibi-chan. I won’t bite.” He leans down and ruffles his hair. “Oh, I should introduce myself. I’m Mibuchi Reo. Nice to meet you.” He smiles, and [m/name] can’t help but think he must be good with the ladies.

“I-I’m [last] [m/name]. It’s nice to meet you, Mibuchi-san.”

“So? What do you say about practicing with me a bit? It would be good warm up before Sei-chan got here.” [m/name] thought about it. He was right, not only would it be good for warming up, but it was vital he got as much practice as was possible before the musical.

“I... I guess... it’s okay.”

Mibuchi smiles charmingly, and begins to lead a still hesitant [m/name] in a dance. He is actually very talented at dancing, and the shorter male can feel his feet following the dance with little trouble. In fact, he’s so into it that he doesn’t notice anything until the door to the music room slams shut, and he and Mibuchi stop dancing rather abruptly. It’s seconds before he feels the malicious aura curling around Akashi, and he freezes. “Ah, Sei-chan. You’ve finally arrived.” Mibuchi greets, and suddenly [m/name] is very aware of his arm around his waist and their hands joined steadily together. Panicking, he almost tries to pull away, but Mibuchi holds him closer. “You’re just in time, we’ve almost finished this dance. What do you say, [m/name]-chan? Shall we ask for Sei-chan’s critiques?”

“U-um...”

“Reo.” Akashi’s voice leaks venom, and the black-haired male lifts his hands away from [m/name]’s body, raising them as if to surrender.

“Yes, yes. I just came to tell you that sensei wanted to see you when you were done here. I’ll be leaving now. Bye Sei-chan, [m/name]-chan.” Mibuchi smiles at the other male, causing him to freeze. Wait, he was just going to leave him with this murderous-looking Akashi? Hold on, why was he so angry, anyways? The sound of the door closing gently snaps him out of his thinking, and the room seems to drop several degrees.

“What was that?” Akashi asks steadily, and [m/name] suppresses the urge to flinch and back away at the anger laced between his words.

“M-Mibuchi-san was helping me rehearse—uh, to warm up, before you got here.” He explains quickly. “I thought it would be good practice, and I didn’t trip over my feet, so—“ The sound of crashing chairs causes him to visibly flinch, and the sudden pain in his back and warmth on his front is suddenly overwhelming; Akashi had crossed the room and pinned him against the table, caging him between his arms and knocking the chairs out of the way. “A-Akashi-kun?” He asks in a voice smaller than he wanted. The other male’s eyes are burning him, rendering him helpless and scared for his life.

“Bragging about your experiences with other men, I see.” Akashi’s voice is condescending and cruel. “I don’t remembering allowing you to practice with others, [m/name].”

“I-I don’t understand.” [m/name] looks up at Akashi, [e/c] eyes wide with confusion and fear. “Mibuchi-san seemed eager to help, so I—“ His breath caught when Akashi’s fingers threaded through his hair.

“ _You’re mine_.” The red-head hissed before leaning forward.

_Oh. Oh my._ [m/name]’s eyes went wider at the force of the kiss, bruising and possessive. He reached up to push Akashi away to gather his thoughts, to _breathe_ , but his wrists were caught in a vice grip that had him trembling, and the fingers in his hair tightened, pulling his head back so Akashi could devour his lips and steal his breath and thoughts. The [h/c] male whimpered into Akashi’s mouth when the hand let go of his hair to rake down his back, causing him to arch slightly.

His wrists were bruising, his body was hot, and his mind was so blank he had no choice but to blindly focus only on Akashi, his touches, his mouth, and—oh god was that his tongue? “Mm...!” [m/name] jerked against the taller male, tears beading at the corner of his eyes at the sensation of a strong, wet muscle plunging into his mouth and tasting him. Akashi had let go of his wrists ages ago, it seemed; he had been too focused on the kiss to even _think_ about pushing him away, but it was renewed with vigor when Akashi slipped his hand beneath his school shirt. “Akashi-ku—“ He gasped as the brutal kiss was finally broken, and instead he could feel sharp teeth and hot pressure against his throat.

His hips were pressed against the table so hard they hurt, and he could feel Akashi pressing against him, could feel his fingers tickling his skin and touching him in ways no one had ever touched him. A small whimper left his mouth as Akashi bit his throat hard, and his hands tugged weakly at his shirt. “A-ahh... Akashi-ku—Stop—“ he panted, his skin tingling. “Uwah...! Not there—“ Akashi silenced him with another hard kiss, swallowing his cries.

Akashi was mumbling something so vehemently against his neck, something like ‘mine’ over and over again, it sent shivers down [m/name]’s body, and he struggled to gather just an ounce of his strength to push him away...

And he finally did, shoving Akashi with a force that he was sure to regret later. “Stop!” He cried, panting as he hugged his arms close to his chest, his lips and throat tingling. “Akashi-kun, what’s gotten into you?”

“You’re mine. Reo might think he can just steal you from under my nose, but you’re _mine_.” Akashi’s eyes were wide and possessive and looked dangerously hungry. He didn’t try to move closer, though, and there was a tense silence as the two males eyed each other.

“I... I think we should stop these lessons.” [m/name] muttered after a few more moments of heavy silence. “I appreciate the help so far, Akashi-kun. I think I’ll be able to practice on my own now. Please e-excuse me,” he cursed his voice for cracking, but Akashi didn’t try to stop him as he gathered his bag and jacket and left without another word, slamming the music room door behind him.

...

Akashi didn’t show up to the music room that following evening, and [m/name] was on his way home Friday after school with a sinking feeling in his stomach. The musical was the next night, but he seriously considered calling to tell he was sick. He decided against it; it would have made the past week seem like a waste of time, and the last thing he wanted after his last encounter with Akashi was for him to think the lessons did nothing to help him.

Still... the bruises on his neck hadn’t completely faded, and he had no choice but to put Band-Aids over them. The night of the play, he arrived a few minutes early, not everyone had arrived, and there was still some time before people would be rushing to finish make up and microphones and lights.

“Alright! Everyone gather around while I explain what’s going to happen!” the teacher called everyone together once the entire crew had assembled. “Right, we’re going to start with the waltzing before the music fades and the scene changes...” [m/name] spaced out, his mind was so jumbled and he was unable to organize his thoughts. “Oi, [last], are you paying attention?”

“Eh? A-ah, sorry, sensei...” he apologized weakly.

“Well... just go along with the flow. You’ll be fine.” [m/name] couldn’t help but think there was an underlying emotion of pity in his teacher’s face. It was gone in a second though. “Right! The curtains will be lifting in ten minutes! Everyone get into play and do your best!”

“Right!” Came the cheering of everyone in the group. [m/name] wasn’t able to feel as elated.

He stood behind the curtains, unable to stop himself from spacing out. It was just as the curtain was raising did he realize he didn’t have a partner. Panicking again, he turned to the teacher. “Sensei—“ It was too late, the curtain was slowly but surely lifting, and he had no choice but to pretend he was also dancing with someone. The students danced close together, enchanting the audience with their flowing movements. For [m/name], it was awkward to be dancing without a partner, and he hoped someone would end up being with him when they switched in at the climax of the music.

Once again, he was left without someone, and he couldn’t help but feel upset that maybe the lessons were a waste after all—

He froze, suddenly very, very aware that the other pairs had parted, leaving him in the center of attention, a spotlight on him and all, as people stared at him without a partner, dancing on stage alone. He expected a round of laughter and pointing, but instead another song started, this one had a slow and sweet melody, and he was left shell-shocked and frozen on stage. Something like fear gripped him, and he began to feel himself hyperventilate when...

Another spotlight appeared, this one at the back of the audience, and his eyes followed the turning of heads all the way back, where he spotted...

Akashi Seijuro, dressed in a white suit, standing at the top of the auditorium, staring directly at him. His heart leapt into his throat, and an abundance of emotions clouded his mind and his vision—wait, he wasn’t crying, no way! [m/name] watched as Akashi slowly began to descend the stairs, making his way towards the stage, never breaking eye contact. “Akashi... kun...” [m/name] breathed as the red-head walked on stage, walking with a strong pace directly towards him.

If he wasn’t astonished enough already, he was even more shocked—he was surprised he hadn’t fainted, in all honesty—when Akashi gently bent forward in a small bow, eyes watching for his reaction.

“May I have this dance?” He asked, voice loud and clear and echoing through the audience. As if he were put under a spell, [m/name] nodded, taking his outstretched hand. The people around them were dancing in a circle, bringing attention to them at the center. [m/name] was completely blown away by this, and even though his steps were perfectly combining with Akashi’s, he still couldn’t forget what happened a couple days earlier. The dancing seemed to go on forever, and throughout the whole thing he could feel Akashi’s arm around his waist and his fingers holding his hand so gently, unlike a few days before.

The music was coming to and end, and before the lights went out and the dancing ended, Akashi leaned forward to press his lips gently against [m/name]’s.

The lights went out, and the audience screamed.

...

“...”

“...”

_‘This... is awkward...’_ [m/name] cried mentally in his mind as he sat next to Akashi backstage in a secluded room. _‘Someone save me...!’_ No one was going to come check on them for a while, least they feel Akashi’s wrath.

“You danced nicely.” The red-head watched as the other male twitched with surprise at his complement.

“I-it was all thanks to your lessons.”

“Nonsense. It was your effort that made it a success.”

“I... Uh... th-thank you.”

Another heavy silence fell, before Akashi broke it once more. “I’ve talked with Reo. He’s determined to not apologize for earlier, since it seems he purposefully tried to make me angry, and he knew it would work.”

_‘Purposefully make Akashi-kun angry? M-Mibuchi-san is a scary guy, after all...’_ [m/name] thought. _‘Wait, he knew it would work? What...?’_

“It seems you’re still unable to understand what I’m saying.” Akashi watched the other male’s face twist with different emotions.

“E-eh? Oh... uh... I understand a bit...” [m/name] shifted awkwardly. “But what I don’t understand is... why?”

“I wanted to see how you would react to such affections. It seemed the others enjoyed it.” Akashi said.

“Affections...? You don’t mean—“ [m/name] started, _‘that the kiss was his way of... no way... it didn’t make sense... Akashi-kun couldn’t have possibly known I would be the only one left without a partner. Unless...’_ Raising his eyes to meet Akashi’s [m/name] spoke in a small voice. “Akashi-kun... don’t tell me the musical was something set up by you to ask me out...” He saw Akashi smirk, and his cheeks felt hot. Leaning forward, the red-head caged the male once again between his arms, but this time was different. Instead of the possessive killing intent, Akashi’s movements were precise and calculated—like he knew this would happen. “A-Akashi-kun...” [m/name] said, eyes darting around uncertainly.

“Be mine, [m/name].” Akashi’s eyes said ‘don’t resist’, but the other male was unable to forget what happened a couple days earlier.

“I-I... But I am a _man_ , Akashi-kun.” He said.

“Things like that don’t matter. All I need is you.”

_‘D-don’t say things like that! I-it’s so embarrassing...’_ [m/name] thought. “Um, Akashi-kun—“ His words stopped when the red-head kissed him. He wasn’t rough this time, and the [h/c] male began to melt against the couch the two were sitting on.

Pulling away, Akashi licked his lips. He wanted more, much more, but he would wait until [m/name] gave him an answer. “Well?”

“U-uh...”

“I’m giving you five seconds to answer.”

“Y-yes!” he hurriedly answered. “I will! Because I...” breaking eye contact, he stared at the floor, “I l-like being around Akashi-kun.”

“[m/name]. Look at me.” Heart pounding, he looked up at Akashi, whose eyes were almost gentle. “You’re mine and mine alone, if I see anyone else touching you, guys or girls, I’ll make you both suffer a painful end.”

_‘H-how can he say those things with such a straight face?’_ [m/name] felt the blood drain from his face. “R-right.” And then they were kissing again, Akashi pressed him into the couch as he devoured his lips. “Mmph, A-Aka—mm,” his hands gripped the front of Akashi’s shirt, and he melted into the kiss, letting the other male run his fingers through his hair and tug on it possessively.

“Mine.” Akashi growled against his lips.

...

“Akashi-kun, you know we still have to let them use this room to change.”

“They’ll find other places.”

"W-what?? No we can't—A-Akashi-kun!"


	3. prince of tennis: tezuka kunimitsu x reader

~~  
Laughter Lines  
~~

_You took me to your favourite place on Earth_  
_to see the tree they cut down ten years from your birth._  
_Our fingers traced in circles round its history,_  
_we brushed our hands right back in time through centuries._

“You... You’re going to Germany?” You ask, a heavy feeling settling in your heart as you stare at the older boy in shock. The two of you were currently sitting on a tree stump by a fishing stream in the mountains, and he had just told you the news: he would be going to Germany to play pro tennis. “B-but what about the U-17 camp you all were invited to?” You asked desperately.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to Germany, [Last]. Don’t be hasty.” He says, but you can tell it’s been sitting on his shoulders for a while. “If I go to the camp, then I may not go to Germany.”

“B-but what if you don’t go to the camp?” You ask.

_As you held me down, you said:_

“Then I’ll go to Germany.” He said, finally looking at you. Though his gaze was the same as it always was, cool and collected, you felt as if it bore the burden of a hundred weights. It kept you where you were, and you could only stare in distraught. “Don’t look so sad, [Last].” He said, and it was then that you realized your hands were shaking, and your eyes were wide with a frozen expression of despair. 

A moment of silence passes, where you’re tracing the rings of the stump, and Tezuka is looking out over the mountains. “I-if you do go to Germany...” you say, catching Tezuka’s attention. “Then I’ll go to every one of your matches. No matter how far. Once I graduate from high school, I’ll definitely follow!” A rare smile quirks his lips. 

“Aa. I’ll be waiting.” 

_"I'll see you in the future when we're older_  
_and we are full of stories to be told._  
_Cross my heart and hope to die,_  
_I'll see you with your laughter lines."_

You’re walking down a path in the hills by your house when you get his text. You know it’s him because the tune you set for his messages. With your heart pounding, you flip open your phone and scan over the text. 

Fr. _Tezuka_

_Sorry, [Last]. We’ll meet again._

Looking up from your phone, you look towards the sky. It’s grey and snowing, and even though he’s not with you, the two of you are standing under the same sky, and you want to cherish it for as long as you can. 

Even through your tears, you’re smiling. 

_Changes on our hands and on our faces, oh, oh  
memories are mapped out by the lines we'll trace._

In high school, it was rather lonely without Kaidoh, Momoshiro, and Echizen, but the rest of the team has managed. Takashi had stopped playing tennis to work with his father’s sushi shop, but the other four hadn’t stopped, and in his second year, Oishi was the captain of the boy’s tennis team, you as their manager, and Inui as the vice-captain. They had almost made it to nationals, but were crushed in their last critical match. 

It was at times like these you couldn’t help but wonder how the others were doing. And Tezuka... Tezuka. Though you’ve kept in touch, his texts are short and becoming less frequent, his emails even less so. Eventually, they stopped completely, and you could only wonder with a heavy heart if it was time to move on. 

_As you held me down, you said:_

Years passed, and soon, the team split up to go to university. Graduation was full of tears, and you were left with a bittersweet feeling, looking at the high school where you would finally depart from. 

“[Last], are you really going across seas?” Fuji asked you one day. You nodded. 

“My parents found a good music school in the States, and I’m pretty good at English, so I’ve decided to go.” You say as the two of you walk to the bus stop. “I thought it would be a good opportunity, so I’m going. Besides...” you look up at the sky, bright blue and dotted with fluffy clouds. “Even if it’s not tennis, I want to catch up to Tezuka as soon as possible.” 

Fuji smiles. “I know the feeling.” 

“I’m leaving in two days.” You say. 

“Eh? That soon?” Fuji asks. You nod. 

“I’ve taken the tests, and they’ve accepted me, so I’m going to be leaving as soon as possible. It’s supposed to be snowing hard there.” You say. 

“I hope you reach your goal.” Fuji says, and you smile back at him. 

“You too, Fuji. I know you’ll do great.” 

“But, why the States?” Fuji asks as the bus drives into view. Your smile widens. 

“I promised Tezuka I’d go see every one of his matches. And if I’m in the States, it’ll be easier, I think. Besides, he promised me something, too.” At Fuji’s curious look, you smile widely jumping onto the bus. 

“He promised we’d see each other when we’re older!” 

_"I'll see you in the future when we're older_  
_and we are full of stories to be told_.  
_Cross my heart and hope to die_ ,  
_I'll see you with your laughter lines."_

“A-a match in Japan? Are you serious?!” Momoshiro said over the tables at Kawamura Sushi. “Wh-when?!” Apart from Tezuka, the whole team had managed to grab ahold of one another, and were reuniting over sushi that their best friend had inherited from his father. You were the last one to arrived, having caught a plane as fast as you could, but not before you could text them all the news. Fuji nodded. 

“It’s supposed to be in Akita, and [Last] wanted us to all get together to watch him play.” 

“Let’s do it! I’m dying to see how Tezuka has improved!” Kikumaru smiles widely, popping a piece of sushi into his mouth. 

“It’ll be a good chance to update my data.” Inui says. The door slides open, and a familiar female voice catches their attention. 

“Wow, I haven’t seen this place in years, but it hasn’t changed!” 

“[Last]!” They all cheer, and you smile, raising a hand to greet them. 

“Long time no see, everyone. Even Ryoma-kun came.” 

“Not like I had a choice...” he mutters, but you smile brightly. 

“Now, let’s talk about the game.” 

_"Ashen faces in cold breeze,_  
_ashen faces in cold breeze_ ,  
_all the stories you will leave_ ,  
_all the stories you will leave"_

“Wow! This place is huge!” You stare in awe at the size of the tennis stadium. “I’ve never seen a place this big!” 

“I hear it was recently built.” Oishi says, looking at the pamphlet they got at the street corner. “It’s amazing it’s already been reserved for matches. The tickets were even almost sold out.” 

_“It’s a shame we got tickets so far back. I wanted to watch Tezuka play up close.” Takashi says, and the others can’t help but agree. You clap your hands together._

“Don’t worry guys, I’ve brought binoculars! Just be sure not to hurt your eyes...” 

The nine of you settle in the seats, waiting eagerly and impatiently for the match to begin. Momoshiro and Ryoma bought ridiculous amounts of food, and were gorging themselves, much to the annoyance of Kaidoh. Fuji, Oishi, Kikumaru and Takashi were talking excitedly, and you smiled at the nostalgia. 

“Oh, the match is starting!” 

Your heart nearly bursts when Tezuka comes onto the court, and the nine of you make as much noise as you can, despite the overwhelming roar of the full stadium. “Good luck, Tezuka!” Oishi yells. 

“You’ve got this!” 

“You can do it!” 

“Kick his ass!” You scream, and the others smile slightly as the people around you turn to stare. You merely grin, flashing a peace sign. 

_‘She really hasn’t changed.’_ They all think. 

_I'll see you in the future when we're older_  
_and we are full of stories to be told_.  
_Cross my heart and hope to die_ ,  
_I'll see you with your laughter lines._

With each point Tezuka got, your heart seemed to soar, and with each point he lost, you would cheer him on, along with the rest of your teammates and the other people in the huge crowd. And when the game finally ends, 6-3 Tezuka, you’re so happy, you don’t realize the tears running down your face. 

“E-eh?! [Last]-senpai, are you crying?!” Momoshiro gapes, causing the others to turn and stare. 

“E-eh? Am I?” you ask, raising a hand to your cheek, feeling wetness there. Fuji takes out his handkerchief, dabbing at your tears. 

“That’s no good, [Last].” He smiles. “Tezuka won.” 

“I-I know, I just...” you sniff. “I’m so happy. I’m so happy.” You say, smiling. 

_I'll see you in the future when we're old._

The nine of you wait after almost every one clears out, and when the former captain of the middle school boys tennis team finally emerges, eight people jump at him, startling the poor tennis player and everyone within hearing distance. 

“Buchou! You were great!” 

“That was amazing!” 

“I’m so pumped!” 

“BURNINGG!” 

“Wha—“ He looks so startled and confused, you cant help but giggle, and then he sees you. 

“It’s been a while.” You say, clasping your hands behind your back and smiling. The others climb off of him—Oishi has to restrain Kikumaru—to let Tezuka get a clear view of you. 

“[Last]...” he says, looking speechless. Your smile fades, and he next thing he knows, you’ve run into his arms, wrapping your arms around his neck in a tight hug. 

“Tezuka.... Tezuka...” you repeat his name like a mantra as tears run down your face, and you cling to him, burying your face in his shoulder. Through all the stares (happy from his former teammates) and camera flashes, Tezuka can’t bring himself to care as his arms wrap tightly around you, and he presses his face into your hair. “Kunimitsu...” you whimper. His own eyes sting, and he’s not ashamed to let his tears freely fall. 

“[First].” 

_I'll see you in the future when we're old._


	4. yowamushi pedal: kinjou shingo x reader

~~  
Movie Dates  
~~

Looking around nervously, you hoped that the calm would arrive before the storm. Waiting in a public place never failed to make you nervous, and since you were so bad with talking to strangers, you got lost three times before finally making it to your destination. Of course, you had left early since you knew you’d be too shy to ask directions from strangers, but you’d picked up a troublesome person on the way. Your ex, to be exact.

_‘Am I here three minutes early, or did I just miss him?’_ you thought, shifting your weight nervously around your feet. _‘W-we did plan to meet at noon, but...’_ The place where you and your company decided to meet was rather crowded, and there were several places for people to sit and rest, but you hoped you were at the right one. _‘Ah... I don’t know his cell number either...I feel so unprepared for today...’_

“[Last].” Turning at the familiar voice, your relief was evident in your tone of voice. “Sorry, did I make you wait?”

“Kinjou-kun! Ah, no, I just got here a bit early.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made you wait.”

“E-eh? N-no, what I mean is that I just got here. I normally get lost anyways, so...uh...” You had a hard time keeping eye contact with Kinjou. It’s not that he was scary or it was uncomfortable, you were a nervous person by nature, and rather shy. It was your first date with him, after all.

“Then shall we go?”

“Y-yeah!” The two of you had planned to see a movie and eat lunch together, and you hoped the two of you could spend time at a nearby park. Of course, it might have been impossible due to his busy training schedule, but he had reassured you beforehand that he had ordered the others to rest up and not strain themselves too much.

_‘Even so... I feel like I’m wasting his time...’_ you thought as the two of you walked to the theater. _‘I know how anxious he is... and instead of letting him relax or train, I’m making him see a movie with me... I hope he’s not bored already...’_ you peek a glance at him out of the corner of your eye, but find he’s looking at you. Your cheeks immediately heat up and you turn away.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Y-yes! I’m fine, thank you.” You smile anxiously, then berate yourself. _‘Ahh, I’m already making him worry for me! No good, I can’t do that! I don’t want him to forget about training, but I want him to relax a bit... even if I feel like I’m wasting his time.’_ Just as you turn away, your stomach drops. You can see your ex in the crowd, looking back and forth. He should have stopped following you, you were sure you had lost him ages ago!

The two of you had made eye contact when you got lost, and you had desperately tried to avoid him, resulting in you getting lost another two more times. Ducking slightly, you tried to pass off your unease and jitteriness as excitement and attempting to make conversation. “S-so, uh, Kinjou-kun, I hear that there are three first years on the team this year. What are they like?”

“They’re passionate. I know they’ll go far.” Kinjou said. You smiled slightly.

“You look so proud when you’re talking about them, and since you’re their captain, I know they’ll be alright.”

“That’s right. They’re part of our flawless team. Sohoku will take Inter-high this year.”

“I’ll cheer for you guys!” You blurted out. “Uh, some of my family lives near Hakone, and I’ll be staying with them, so I’ll go and cheer for you guys!” He smiled slightly, and you felt your heart skip a beat.

“Thank you.”

...

The line for tickets wasn’t as long as you expected it to be for a Saturday afternoon. You would still look behind Kinjou for your ex, and if you spotted someone that looked like him, you’d try to hide yourself subtly. The relief you felt when you were out of sight from people outside was huge, and you breathed easy. If Kinjou noticed your nervousness, he didn’t say anything.

The movie was an action movie, and during the intense parts you recoiled against the seat, staring at the screen with wide eyes. Your attention was so focused on the screen you didn’t notice how your recoiling left centimeters of space between you and Kinjou. He did, however, and kept glancing down at your almost touching bodies.

“I never knew action movies could be so thrilling.” You said as the two of you walked out of the theater. “I haven’t seen many action movies, it was fun.”

“Yeah.” Kinjou agreed.

_‘Ah... again... I feel like he’s only agreeing with me to not make me feel bad.’_ You thought worriedly, biting your lip slightly. “Um... Kinjou-kun—“

“Hey! I finally found you!” You froze midsentence, turning to see your ex working his way through the crowds of people towards you. You felt your blood go cold, and without thinking, you tore from the crowds of people, pushing past everyone and fleeing from your ex, and Kinjou.

You ran until your lungs were bursting and your legs turned to jelly, where you collapsed on the edge of a short stonewall. Panting, you hung your head, arms trembling. _‘Again... I ran away again...’_ you thought, shutting your eyes against the sting of tears. “Dammit...”

“[Last]!” Looking up, you saw Kinjou hurrying towards you. You tried to stand, but your knees buckled, and you fell against his chest. You wanted to stand on your own, but your legs wouldn’t be having any of it, so you were forced to use Kinjou as support.

“S-sorry, Kinjou-kun... Running away like that, I—“

“Why?” He asked.

“W-why did I run?” You confirmed. He nodded. “Er... he... that person is...” You fidgeted slightly. “H-he’s my ex... a-and last time, there was a misunderstanding, so... I think the atmosphere is rather tense...” Glancing over his shoulder, you could see the blurry figure of your ex getting closer. You tried to hide yourself behind Kinjou. “I-I know it’s a terrible reason and I’m sorry for running! I don’t even know if your having fun, and it feels like I’m wasting your time—“ You jumped when one of Kinjou’s hands cupped your cheek, lifting your head. It was then that you realized tears were running down your face. “E-eh? Ah, again I’m—“ you choked. _‘I’m causing trouble.’_

You could hear the sound of your ex calling your name, and your bottom lip trembled at the thought of encountering him after all these years—

Kinjou pressed his lips to yours, stopping al thought and causing your eyes to widen. Around the two of you, passersby stopped and whispered, some cheered, and your cheeks heated up with embarrassment. His other arm curled around your waist, and supported you as the two of you kissed. Your fingers curled against his chest, and you couldn’t help but relax against him. _‘I feel like I’m melting...’_ you thought, shivering as his strong arm kept you upright.

When the two of you pulled away, you realized you had pushed yourself onto your toes to kiss back. This realization caused you to cover your face in embarrassment. “I-I.... er, uh...”

“I am having fun.” He suddenly spoke. “Thank you for accompanying me today.”

“Ah? O-of course, anytime...”

“Then can I ask you to do this again with me?”

“E-eh? O-of course.”

“Uh...” Turning, you saw your ex looking at the two of you with wide eyes. “I just wanted to say hi is all. Are you feeling alright?”

“E-eh?” You gaped. _‘He just wanted to say hi? Then...’_

“I guess you’re doing fine if you’re going out again. She beats herself up a lot like this. I hope you take care of her.”

“Of course.” Kinjou said, staring down your ex. You didn’t know if the atmosphere was friendly between the two of them.

“And, [Name].” You hesitantly looked up at him. “Sorry. I’ve got another girlfriend now... and I’m treasuring her. I just wish I could have done that with you.” He said, regret twisting his face. “I hope you’re doing well. See you.” He waved slightly before turning around to walk away.

“U-um!” You called after him, and he paused. “Thank you. For everything until now.” You said. Kinjou remained silent as you pulled him away, leaving your ex in the crowd.

...

“I won’t ask what happened between the two of you.” Kinjou said as the two of you sat on a bench in the nearby park. “Because I won’t apologize for my earlier actions.”

You blushed at the mention of it, and turned away, cheeks aflame. “Th-that’s okay... I-I didn’t mind...” A hand covered your own, and you turned to see him smiling slightly at you.

“Will you cheer for us at Inter-High?” He asked. You nodded instantly.

“Yes!” His smile widened a bit more.

“Then I couldn’t ask for more.”


	5. free!: yamazaki sousuke x reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sousuke is the best nurse

~~  
Sick Days 1  
~~

You want to tear out your lungs; at least it would be less painful than what you’re experiencing now. 

_Can’t come to swim practice. Sick._ You type out, sending the message to Gou before tossing your phone to the side. Coughing, you pull the covers up to your chin and curl up, shaking as you nearly eject your lungs from your chest. “The flu can fight me...” you mumble, voice hoarse as you close your eyes. Because your parents worked day and night, you didn’t want to tell them to bring home medicine, since you’d be asleep anyways and they’d be too tired to buy any. 

Deciding to tough it out, you shut off the lights—what were they doing on in the first place again?—and buried yourself underneath the covers. 

After what seemed like five minutes, you opened your eyes slightly to some rustling. You wanted to shout at whoever was there for first off, breaking into your home and second, you wanted to tell them not to steal anything (but honestly if it was a robber they wouldn’t listen to you in the first place). Still half asleep, you poked out from under the covers slightly, enough to murmur, “Please don’t rob me,” before falling back asleep. You vaguely felt something warm brush against your cheek before you fell back asleep.

...

When you next wake up, the first thing you notice is the scent of what you assumed was chicken soup. You furrowed your eyebrows slightly. Did your parents notice your lack of response to texts and come home early? No... The next thing you noticed was someone smoothing back your hair. The hand was too large to be your mother’s, and too soft to be your father’s. Opening your eyes, your vision was slightly hazy, but once it was focused enough, you could see the faint outlines of someone—the only person you knew with teal eyes.

“Sou... suke?” The hand that had been stroking your hair moves away, and you want to tell him not to stop, but feel it would be too weird to. 

“You’re awake.” He says, standing. “I won’t turn on the lights, but I brought medicine.” You hear him shuffle around, and the rustle of a plastic bag.

“Nn...” The room felt oddly hot, and you pushed the covers off of you slightly, still feeling sluggish. Raising a hand to your face, you rubbed your eyes, sniffling. “It’s so hot...” 

“That’s because you’re sick, [name].” He says. You slip off the long-sleeved jacket you had on (really, what were you thinking, wearing it to bed when you were sick?) revealing a short-sleeved shirt. 

“It’s still hot...” You complain, weakly flapping your blanket to send a short breeze your way. 

“[name].” You hear Sousuke say, and turn your head. He’s holding out a spoonful of what you know to be medicine but you don’t want to drink it. Sousuke sees you stare intently at the medicine, and he holds it closer for emphasis. “Take it. It’ll help your cold.” You shake your head, but the sudden throbbing causes you to wince. 

“By the way, Sousuke, are my parents home? I smell soup.” You said. Sousuke looks away, and you can’t see it, but you know he’s embarrassed.

“I made it.” He mumbled. 

“Really? I never would have expected you to be the cooking type.” You tease him slightly, but you’re grateful. “I still don’t want to take the medicine, though.”

“Even when you’re sick, you’re stubborn, huh?” He puts the medicine down carefully. “At least take it after you’ve eaten.” 

“Hmm... no promises.” You smile slightly. The next thing Sousuke holds up is a spoonful of soup, and you’d feed yourself, but you can’t even sit up without his help. Propped up against your pillows, you let him give you spoonfuls of soup. “Hey, Sousuke, how did you know I was sick?” You ask. Your house is about equal distance from Iwatobi and Samezuka, but he wouldn’t have known unless someone told him. Gou most likely. 

“Rin told me after Gou texted him.” Sousuke said.

“Hmm...? Did he tell you to nurse me back to health, too?” You teased. He looked away again. “Haha, I’m just kidding, Sousuke. I appreciate you doing this.” You said. His hand came down to ruffle your hair. “W-wha—“ You started, only to be interrupted by another round of coughing.

“Time to take your medicine.” Sousuke took the spoonful of liquid from the bedside table.

“Ehh? Nooo...” You cried. 

“The faster you take it, the faster it’s over, and the quicker you can recover.” He said, holding up the devilish liquid. Grimacing, you prepared yourself for the worst before biting down on the spoon, swallowing it in one gulp. You coughed again, your insides rejecting the medicine. 

“Gross...” You whimpered. He held out a glass of water, which you took gratefully. “Thanks Sousuke, you’re the perfect nurse.” You smile as he raises his eyebrow. 

“I’d take care of you if you were sick any day.” He said quietly. Your eyes widened slightly as you blushed. 

“I... s-same...” you said, looking down at the blankets in embarrassment. A hand cupping your chin made you look up at him, and you couldn’t help but shudder slightly under his gaze. Sousuke leaned closer slowly, as if he was trying not to scare you, his eyes shutting slowly. Your slid shut too, and you were inches away when...

Sousuke blinked, and you smiled apologetically, your fingers lightly pressing against his lips. You saw confusion on his face. “Don’t get the wrong idea, I want to kiss you, too. But I don’t want you to get sick, too. Especially with Rin increasing your training schedule. After I get better I’ll kiss you all you want, okay?” You smiled.

“Even though you said you’d take care of me...” He said, moving away slightly.

“Hey, I don’t want Rin to break into my house and scream that he’s lost one of the best swimmers on his team.” You were only half joking. Instead, Sousuke leaned forward to press a kiss against your forehead.

“Just get better soon. I want that kiss, [name].”

“Hehe~ Roger, Sousuke.”


	6. haikyuu!: oikawa tooru x reader

~~  
Baby It's Cold Outside  
~~

Your fingers are so numb, but somehow you can still feel the cold right through your soaked gloves. “S-s-s-stupid weather..” your teeth are chattering and your voice is slurred since your whole face seems to be frozen. Since the weather was so bad, you were forced to go outside and shovel, but you quickly regretted doing so. “Sh-sh-should ha-h-have left it to p-p-pile up...” you muttered to yourself as you forced yourself to overturn yet another shovel full of snow.

You had been out here for at least an hour, but it felt like five. You swear your hair was frozen and icicles were going to form on your nose and ears. “S-stupid parents... l-leaving on a business trip...!” you growled in your mind, thrusting the shovel into the never-ending snow and throwing the white powder to the side.

Unfortunately, you hadn’t known they were going on a trip until about a day before, and you had gone to bed in a foul mood. When you woke up, the snow was already two feet high and you remembered your parents weren’t home. This quickly had you rolling out of bed and throwing on any warm clothes you could find to go shovel the snow.

“D-d-dammit...!” You buried your face in the collar of your coat. It was another thirty minutes before you finally gave in; but before you could go inside, your phone rang in your pocket. Fumbling with it, it stopped ringing by the time you answered. “H-h-h-hello?” The voice you heard on the other end grated on your nerves.

_“Good morning, [Name]-chan! Since your parents aren’t home I figured we could have a movie night! What do you—“_

“No, idiot.” You gritted out, ducking as a gust of wind scattered the still falling snow in all different directions. “Have a movie n-n-night w-w-with Y-Yuutarou or s-something!”

The voice was silent on the other side, and you wondered if he hung up to pout. But before you could press the end call button, he spoke again. _“[Name]-chan, are you outside by any chance?”_

“Wh-what’s it to you? T-this sn-snow isn’t g-g-going to disappear by its-self!” you stuttered, face growing number by the second.

_“That’s bad, [Name]-chan! It’s too cold outside!”_

“No shit Sherlock...” You growled.

_“I’m on my way to warm you up! Look forward to it~!”_

“Wh-what?! O-oi! Baka-Oikawa! What—“ The beeping on the other end told you he had already hung up. “I-i-idiot!” you stuffed your phone in your pocket, before throwing down the shovel and heading inside, slamming the door shut and peeling of wet layer after wet layer, starting with your gloves, then your hat and coat. You were in the middle of trying to tug the socks off your feet when the doorbell rung. Placing your feet on the wet, cold floor, you grimaced, opening the door. Another gust of blistering cold wind greeted you, and you covered your face.

“[Naaaame]-chan~! I’ve arrived!” Oikawa Tooru greeted with a wide, cheerful grin. You frowned slightly, still trying to rip off your wet socks as he took off his coat and hung it. “Hm? [Name]-chan, I never knew you wanted to get started so quickly!” he grinned, and you could feel the parts of your face that weren’t frozen heating up.

“Sh-shut up, idiot!” You lurched forward to punch his arm, but slipped and fell into him. He wrapped his arms around you, and you were surrounded by warmth.

“Let’s get you warmed up, hm?” He smiled, and you had no choice but to grip his sweater as he lifted you in the air.

“Wai—Shitty-Oikawa, put me down! I can walk!” You protested. He simply hummed to himself as he carried you to the living room, plopping down on the couch with you in his lap. “S-s-s-stupid-Oikawa! Let go!” You stammered. You wouldn’t admit it, but you were quickly regaining your own body heat from being close to him. Unconsciously, you held onto him.

“Hmm.. your words are different from your actions. Could it be you’re falling in love with me?” he asked cheekily, smiling down at you. Your fist met his shoulder seconds later. “Hmm... but you know, I’m glad I called when I did. I wouldn’t want you to suffer any longer.” He said, tightening his arms around you.

“I didn’t need you to call me, I was already going inside, idiot.”

“So mean!”

“But since my parents aren’t home I guess it’s fine to have you over for now. Just don’t do anything stupid.” You said.

“[Naaame]-chan~!” he cheered, and you yelped as the two of you fell against the couch.

“H-hey! Baka-Oikawa! Le—“ you shut your mouth as soon as you felt his hand poking your waist. His face was buried in your hair, and you were sure he didn’t notice it, but... “Oi, move your hand.” You tried to pry his hand away from your waist, but he squeezed tighter, causing you to flinch and bite your lip. Oh no... if this continued...

“Hm? What was that, [Name]-chan?”

“I-I said move your hand!” you pulled his hand away, but his other one poked your side, causing you to nearly shriek and throw yourself off the couch. The chuckle you heard coming from Oikawa’s lips drained all blood from your face.

“Is [Name]-chan... ticklish?” he asked.

You had no answer.

Grinning slyly, the setter gently squeezed your side, and your body jerked, trying to get away from him. “S-sto—“ you flinched, unable to suppress the small giggle rising in your chest. You tried to fight against him, but he was on the volleyball team and you didn’t even want to leave your bed during the weekends.

Soon, you were trying to stifle your giggles, weakly shoving against Oikawa’s shoulders to get him to stop. “S-stop, i-idiot!” you gasped, unable to stop laughing.

“What’s the magic word?” He asked teasingly.

“P-please!” You gasped, “j-just stop!”

“Hmm... Nope~!” he grinned, and you squirmed against him.

“O-Oikawa! Stop! I give!” you cried helplessly, relieved when he finally stopped so you could catch your breath.

“Hehe~ You finally said my name properly.” He grinned, sitting back. Pushing yourself onto your elbows, you thought back to when he called you, when he arrived, and even earlier before that.

“...sorry...” you apologized, looking away. “I guess I’ve been hanging out with Yuutarou too much.” You looked back to see Oikawa staring at you with wide eyes. “Wh-what?” You asked.

“[Name]-chan!” He threw himself on top of you, almost crushing you to his chest.

“H-Hey! You’re suffocating me, idio... Oikawa!” You tugged at his sweater.

“I like you,” he said, voice muffled in your shoulder. You froze underneath him, heart swelling with embarrassment and anticipation. “I really like you. I won’t give you to anyone, not even Iwa-chan—“

“Wait, wait, you’re misunderstanding something, Yuutarou and I—“

“Don’t!” Oikawa cut you off, “When you say his name like that, I get jealous, you know?” He said, and you could feel the heat from his face on the bare skin of your neck. You cheeks, too, were warm.

“W-we’ve known each other for years, of course we’d call each other by name!”

“But you don’t call me by my name.” Oikawa pouts.

“I call you Oikawa.”

“But I want you to call my name.” He said, and you turned your gaze elsewhere.

“I-I can’t just start calling you your name, it’s embarrassing and awkward.” You said.

“Pleeeeease, [Name]-chan?” He asked.

“No.”

“Please?”

“ _No_.” you said firmly. Oikawa pouted, and you couldn’t help but think about how cute he was.

“Hmm... fine, every time you call me Oikawa, I’ll tickle you!”

“Oi, you’re not serious are you?” You asked sharply. The glint in his eyes told you he was serious. “ _Don’t_. I swear to god Oika—“ Before you could even finish, he gently squeezed and poked your sides, sending you into another fit of laughter. “S-stop! Oikawa, I swear to god—“ He seemed to have fun looking at you while you laughed and squirmed underneath him. “To-Tooru!” You finally gasped out. “Stop! Tooru!” he stopped, practically glowing with happiness.

“You finally called my name~!” he cheered.

“I-I had no choice, ass!” You protested, face turning red. You gripped his wrists when he moved to tickle you again. “Stop _right_ there.” You warned.

“Hmm... very well then, each time you say my name, I’ll give you a reward!” He smiled.

“Somehow I don’t trust that.”

“Ehh? So mean!”

“Oh suck it up.” You rolled your eyes.

“So [Name]-chan, what did you think of my confession?” Oikawa asked.

“Wh-what did I think of it?” You asked. “Er... well I....” What did you think of it? Oikawa was a flirt, a tease, an idiot, and a huge volleyball nerd, but...

“So?” He pressed, anxious for your answer.

“I... I like you too...” You whispered. “...Tooru.” You were surprised that his smile didn’t crack his face in half.

“I can finally give you a reward~!” he cheered, and you felt his lips press dangerously close to your mouth. Your eyes widened, staring into his sly ones.

“Y-y-y-you...” you stuttered.

“Hm? Cat got your tongue? Let me get it back for you~” He smiled before pressing his lips to yours before you could protest.

Needless to say, the two of you spent the rest of the day curled up on the couch, stealing kisses from time to time as the snow piled up outside.


	7. prince of tennis: echizen ryoma x reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was originally planned to be much angstier, but i couldn't bring myself to do it >_> xD

~~  
No Need  
~~

_It started out as a feeling_  
_Which then grew into a hope_  
_Which then turned into a quiet thought_  
_Which then turned into a quiet word_

You had met him at the local tennis courts. Your older brother had been playing around with his friends, leaving you to entertain yourself, when you had almost run over a kid lying on the grass, a half full can of juice sitting next to him. "Ah, I'm sorry." You apologized, peering down at the kid's face. He looked about a year younger than you, maybe two.

The kid had looked up at you from under the rim of his hat, lips pulled down slightly in a frown, and you kneeled next to him, patting his head. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't see where I was going." Then your eyes caught sigh of his tennis bag, with the word, 'SEIGAKU' printed on the side with bold white letters. "Ah, you go to Seigaku? So do I! What's your name, kid? I'm [Last] [First]." You grinned.

"Noisy."

"Excuse me?!"

He had been the strangest kid you had ever set eyes on. That Echizen Ryoma. And oddly enough, he had been the only boy to give you a warm feeling in your chest whenever you thought of him.

You saw Ryoma often after that. The second time had been with his friend, Momoshiro Takeshi, the kid with a quick temper and a large appetite. 'Momoshiro? I know him. His classroom isn't far from mine, actually', you had said as the two of you sat on the benches, watching people play.

Ryoma had merely hummed.

_And then that word grew louder and louder_  
_'Til it was a battle cry_  
_I'll come back_  
_When you call me_  
_No need to say goodbye_

The first time you saw Ryoma at school was when you had been running by the tennis courts, late for a meeting with your classmates about a project. Unfortunately, one cannot look away while running without crashing into something, and you had collided with someone carrying a basket of tennis balls.

"I'm so sorry!" You blurted out, immediately kneeling down to help pick them up.

"You're usually this clumsy, huh?" Your head had snapped up, eyes wide.

"Ryoma-kun!"

"Mada mada dane."

"Still as cheeky as ever, huh?" You grinned, flicking his nose. He had lowered his cap over his eyes, beginning to pick up the balls.

"What's going on over here?" A voice asked.

"Ah, Tezuka-senpai. Heh, sorry, I just happened to run into this little guy here." You smiled meekly. "I'll pick up the tennis balls. Sorry for disturbing practice." The captain merely regarded you with cool brown eyes, before nodding and going back to practice.

"I'm not a kid, Senpai." Ryoma said, sounding annoyed. You smiled, one hand sliding under his cap and the other snatching it out of the air before it fell to the ground.

"Sorry, Ryoma-kun. But when you're still shorter than me, you're still a kid."

It was moments like these that you enjoyed the most.

_Just because every thing's changing_  
_Doesn't mean it's never been this way before_  
_All you can do is try to know_  
_Who your friends are as you head off to the war_

"America?" You asked, throat dry. Ryoma sipped his Ponta. "You're participating in the U.S. Open?"

"I've decided to." He said. Months have passed, and you found yourself seeing more of the boy in the halls and out of school, whether by coincidence or fate, but you couldn't find room to complain, he was just too lovable.

"I... I see." You said, looking down at your lap. "So then... you won't be getting back in time for nationals?"

"...." Ryoma stared straight ahead.

"I don't know."

You stayed silent for the rest of the time.

_Pick a star on the dark horizon_  
_And follow the light_

"Ehhh?! You're not coming to watch us at nationals?" Eiji exclaimed. Shaking your head, you helped the tennis club put back the equipment. Tomorrow was the day Ryoma was going to America, and he had left early to pack. "Why not?" Eiji asked.

"..." You hadn't answered, merely staring down at the ground.

"If you don't want to answer, you don't have to." Oishi said, putting his hand on your shoulder. "I know how much you wanted to cheer for him at nationals." Biting your lip, you nodded, blinking back small tears.

"It's not like he's going to be away forever though, right?" You asked.

"...We don't know." Momoshiro answered.

"I-I have to believe he'll come back. After all, he's Ryoma. He wouldn't just... leave." You said. It was the first time you used Ryoma's name without honorifics. "I believe in him." When you felt the pressure of another hand on your shoulder, you turned to see Fuji gently smiling at you.

"That's the spirit. Echizen will definitely come back to us." You smiled.

"Yes!"

_You'll come back_  
_When it's over_  
_No need to say goodbye_

Everyone had said their goodbyes, but you were nowhere to be found. "Sorry, Echizen. She told us she would be here." Oishi apologized. Ryoma merely averted his gaze.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter to me if she comes or not."

"Echizen..."

"Flight to Los Angeles now boarding, please make your way..."

"Wait, Echizen! Aren't you going to call her or something?"

"She does what she wants. I don't have a reason to stop her." He said, walking away with a last wave of his hand.

"Echizen..."

Hands stuffed in his pockets, Ryoma tried to make the heavy feeling in his heart go away. So what if you hadn't showed up? Maybe you were late and slept in. Or maybe you tripped and cracked your skull open. You always were pretty clumsy--

Or maybe you just didn't care.

Ryoma clenched his hands in his pockets. "Stupid senpai--"

"Oi, kid, you're not saying rude things about me, are ya?" Ryoma's eyes widened, and he turned to see you sitting on a chair by the gate. "What, you thought I'd let you leave without saying bye? Geez..." Standing, you walked over with your hands clasped behind your back. "I expect good things outta you, kid. Drink milk, play tennis, kick butt--" It was your turn for your eyes to widen.

Ryoma pulled back, smirking as he licked his lips slightly. Taking off his cap, he put it on your head. "I'm not a kid, [First]-senpai." You watched as he walked away, fingers coming up to press lightly against your lips. When his back disappeared from view, you smiled.

"Kids grow up so fast."

_You'll come back_  
_When it's over_  
_No need to say goodbye_

"So? How's America?" You asked, twirling in your desk chair, the receiver pressed against your ear.

_"Fine. I saw Kevin again--"_

"What?! That blonde-headed kid?!" You exclaimed, cutting off Ryoma's sentence. "I still haven't gotten around to liking that kid. He's just too passionate. And irritating. Ah! I cut you off again, sorry!"

_"... You haven't changed."_

"Heh, neither have you. Which reminds me, are you still only five feet? I mean, I'm a little taller than Ann, but still taller than you. You should grown up faster, kid." You teased.

_"..."_

"..." _Did I over do it?_ You thought.

__"I'm not a kid, [Last]._ " You almost shivered. His voice was different over the phone. It was deeper, and... alluring._

"...Did you use my name without honorifics? Kids are getting so bold these days." You grinned, almost hearing him scowl. "Sorry, Ryoma-kun. I know you're not a kid. You're just fun to tease."

_"It should be the other way around..."_ Ryoma muttered. You pressed your phone against your ear more.

"Did you say something? I didn't hear."

_"No. Nothing."_

_Now, we're back to the beginning_  
_It's just a feeling and no one knows yet_  
_But just because they can't feel it too_  
_Doesn't mean that you have to forget_

It was the morning of nationals. You were sleeping peacefully in your bed. Hanging on your wall was a calendar with today circled in bright red marker. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't ignore it, and even set an alarm. Momoshiro told you the games started at around ten or eleven, and it was already eight thirty. Even if you left now, it would still take some time to get there. They told you Rokkaku was starting, and you vaguely remembered meeting them on a trip to train on the beach with Seigaku (even though the training camp was quickly forgotten about).

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Rolling over, you mumbled into your pillow. The birds still hadn't stopped chirping, and there was a strange tap on your window. That's impossible, you told yourself. You lived on the second story, there was no way someone--

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Sitting up and rubbing your eyes, you sighed, looking at your window. Throwing your covers off of yourself, you walked to the window and pulled back the curtains, squinting at the sun. Even though it was still early, the sun rose faster than usual cause of summer. Looking down to the streets below, your eyes took some time to adjust, but then they did...

"Ryoma?" You whispered. Indeed, it was Ryoma, hat and all. Though he was a bit oddly dressed. You ignored his overly baggy clothes and rushed to put your hair in a ponytail (not because you knew he liked them, of course not) and rushed downstairs, opening the front door. "Ryoma-kun!" You called happily, wrapping your arms around him tightly.

"You even have this much energy in the morning?" He asked. You noticed he was rubbing his eyes.

"Yup! Because you came back!" You said, stepping back to get a good look at his face. "When did you come back?"

"A little while ago."

"Like.. days? Hours?"

"Days."

"Ehhh? Why didn't you contact me?" You pouted.

"But I'm here, aren't I? Get ready, we're going to find Momo-senpai and the others."

"They're at nationals... oh!" You said, finally catching on. "Right! Give me fifteen minutes!"

"Hurry, [First]-senpai."

"Yes, yes!" You called, heart fluttering as he said your name for the first time in so long.

_Let your memories grow stronger and stronger_  
_'Til they're before your eyes_  
_You'll come back_  
_When they call you_  
_No need to say goodbye_

"Echizen?!"

"Echizen!" You couldn't help but smile at the astonished calls of Ryoma's name.

"Don't just leave your clothes lying on the ground." You said, picking them up as he revealed himself.

"Whoa! [Last]! You're here too?!"

"You bet!" You grinned, flashing a peace sign and winking.

_You'll come back_  
_When they call you_

As Ryoma played, you couldn't help but stare in admiration and disbelief, still unsure if he was really here, right in front of your eyes. He had grown, physically and in tennis. You had measured his height on the train (much to his annoyance) and found that he was at least the same height as you.

"Kids grow up fast these days, huh?" You smiled.

_No need to say goodbye_


	8. kuroko no basket: kagami taiga x reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1st of many forehead kisses

~~  
Forehead Kisses  
~~

"Tiger! I found you!" You grinned, jumping at the tall red head and wrapping your limbs around his body. The boy, despite being nearly twice your height and weight, stumbled. You giggled, hugging him tightly. "Hiya, Tsu-chan!"

"Hello, [Name]-chan." The blue-haired boy replied in monotone.

"H-hey! What are you doing?" Kagami stuttered. You pouted from over his shoulder.

"I've been looking for you two the whole day! Hyuuga-chan-senpai wanted to have a basketball meeting!"

"Using -chan and -senpai in the same sentence are a bit much..."

"Quiet, Tiger! Now mush!"

"When did I become your dog?!"

...

"Here they are Hyuuga-chan-senpai!" You called as the three of you came into the gym, you still clinging to Kagami. He pries your limbs off, and you fall down, landing on your feet. "Awww, but Tiger," you whined slightly. He flushes slightly and crosses his arm.

"C'mon, [Name], you're in high school." You pouted.

"Aww~ You're no fun, Tiger." You stuck your tongue out at him before tackling Kuroko in a hug.

"[Name]! Get ahold of yourself!" Hyuuga called. Immediately, you were just a few feet in front of him, standing completely still as you saluted him.

"Yes Hyuuga-chan-senpai!" 

He sighed and you bounded away. "Anyways, Kagami, Kuroko, I called you guys here to talk about the Winter Cup." 

"Ah, Nigou! You're here too!" You squealed quietly, reaching your arms out as the dog came padding over to you. You let Nigou lick your face as you nuzzled his soft fur, giggling to yourself. As the others were talking about the upcoming tournament, you played with Nigou, tossing him a tennis ball you fount out by the school's courts. The bell rang for lunch, and you stood, scratching Nigou's ears one last time.

"Well, I gotta go meet up with a teacher. See you all later!" You waved, and they waved back.

"Bye [Name]-chan!"

...

Kagami was jealous of Nigou, you were sure of it. Not only did he glare at the dog more (you swore the dog glared back), but he also tried to advert your attention from the pup, calling you over to hold his feet while he did sit ups, making you practice with him, and even pulling you away as you were petting the team’s mascot. 

“Is Kagami an idiot?” Riko sighed as you told her this. You chuckled.

“Yep, but he’s also a basketball idiot.” She smiled slightly.

“Yeah. So have you told him your feelings yet?” 

“Nope. Not yet. I’m thinking maybe after practice or tomorrow...” you say.

“Well, whatever you decide, I support you.”

You grinned. “Thanks, Riko-chan.” 

...

“Tiiiiiiger~” You cooed as he came out of the locker rooms. He jumped.

“Whoa! What the hell are you doing?” He glared, startled. You laughed slightly.

“I was thinking of helping Tsu-chan take care of Nigou! What do you think?”

“Why are you asking me?” he asked, turning away from you with a slight scowl on his face. You smirked slightly.

“I love Nigou! He’s the cutest dog ever! He’s so fluffy and cute, he reminds me of Tsu-chan, even though he’s not fluffy...”

“I don’t care. Do what you want.” Kagami said, looking away from you and crossing his arms. You turned to look at him, clasping your hands behind your back. He avoided your eyes as you tried to look at his face, and eventually, you smirked.

“Tiger, are you jealous of Nigou?”

Kagami jumped, as if the idea was ridiculous. His cheeks were slightly flushed, but he denied it vehemently. 

“I-I am not jealous of a dog!” You smirked.

“You are!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“Are not!”

Without thinking of the consequences, you reached up to grab Kagami’s shirt, yanking him down to your level. You briefly caught his surprised face before you bit the bridge of his nose. He stood still, shocked for a full minute after you pulled away, before...

“Ow! What the hell?!” he held his nose, looking down at you in disbelief and shock.

“Are too~” You teased.

“Why you—!” You shut your eyes as Kagami reached out for you, but you were surprised by a pair of lips landing—rather sloppily—on your forehead. Your eyes shot open in surprise. 

“Tiger—“

“Be quiet for a minute,” he interrupted, hands cupping your face. “Don’t talk,” he said softly, before pressing his lips to yours. You were still surprised, but you closed your eyes and kissed back, standing on your toes. The kiss was gentle, which surprised you, and when Kagami pulled away, you couldn’t help but laugh at how his face was as red as his hair.

“Your face is the same color as your hair!” You howled, bending over and laughing shrilly. Kagami’s face grew redder until he grabbed your shoulders and crashed his lips to yours, once again, sloppily. You still chuckled, winding your arms around his neck as he picked you up and braced you against the wall with his knee. You wrapped your legs around his waist, kissing back with the same ferocity. 

When the two of you finally pulled apart, both of your faces were flushed, and you were panting. 

“Still jealous?” You asked in between breaths. His grip on you tightened.

“I told you, I’m not jealous.” He kissed your neck, “Besides, you’re mine now.” You rolled your eyes, bopping his head before kissing him again.


	9. haikyuu!: tsukishima kei x male!reader

~~  
Barking Mad  
~~

It all started when you bumped into him on your way to the gym. You were coming down the hall, about to turn the corner and--

"Ouch!" 

\--Slammed right into something, or _someone_ at least a foot taller. "Oh--" you heard them grunt, and you stumbled back, nearly falling over. 

"Sorr--" you looked up, freezing momentarily as a _giant_ stared down at you. He tilted his head, but what you were staring at were his eyes; lazy, but shrewd _pools_ of dull gold. Your fingertips tingled, and it felt like you were being sucked in...

He smiled, "Sorry, I didn't think that any grade schoolers would be visiting today. Did you lose your sibling, little boy?"

...if only he kept his mouth shut. You gawked at him, your own mouth ajar, before your eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare. "You--! What class--no! What's your name?!" You glared, pointing at him. 

And he smirks, the dull gold shimmering and you can't breathe but feel like you're taking too much air at the same time; you can't believe someone like-- "Tsukishima Kei, first year, class 4."

\--Someone as _arrogant_ , and condescending and a pain in the _ass_ could be so _tall_ or have eyes like that. 

"You--you should respect your elders more!" You say indignantly. For a moment, his eyes widen slightly, and then he _smiles_ , not a condescending, smug smile, but a genuine one, a smile that melts away your irritation in an instant.

"I'm sorry, senpai. I'll be better behaved from now on," he says, and you blink, taken aback. 

"O-okay--"

"Would you be happy if I said that?" And you blink, utterly floored as his smirk _widens_ and he's looking down at you with an expression that reeks of confidence and clearly says, _I'm better than you_. He gives yon one last, short 'hmph', laughing at your height--or lack thereof, before turning on his heel.

You watch him walk away, your fists shaking by your sides. _'That... that bastard!'_ You're too angry to notice he'd gone in the same direction you were headed. 

When you encounter him not ten minutes later in the gym, dressed in the volleyball uniform, you throw a _fit_. Of course, he merely smirks at your poor attempts to rile him up, throwing sass after sass in your direction, until Sawamura broke the two of you apart and commenced with practice. 

From then on, neither of you stopped trying to get underneath each other's skin (though, you'd never admit Tsukishima was a lot better at provoking you than you were to him). In fact, the two of you were probably a second, much more troublesome version of Kageyama and Hinata, though you and Tsukishima weren't compatible enough to be a killer pair for volleyball matches. 

The two of you were so easy to fight with each other that you had arguments at least once everyday over the simplist things ("But Sawamura-san! He started it!"). Squabbles that stemmed from ("Wait, your name is _Hotaru?_ Hah!"), to ("Shorty-san, don't you think it's time you drank more milk?"). You've lost count how many times Sugawara or Sawamura have had to physically hold you back from stomping over to Tsukishima and hitting the crap out of his intestines (since you can't reach his face). 

You don't hate him though, just strongly dislike. You'd never admit it to anyone but yourself, but despite his crappy personality, he's actually quite smart, and you can't help but have a small, tiny ounce of admiration for him. 

"Is it true you haven't grown since your first year? _Sad_."

If only you could sock him once. 

Karasuno was staying at a lodge for a training camp during Golden Week, and you've just received the worst news possible...

"...And so, since there's a limited amount of space, we only have a limited number of futons, so we ended up pairing you with Tsukishima--"

"Absolutely not," is your flat, firm response. Sawamura sighs. 

"I know you don't exactly get along, but..."

"He makes it a point whenever he sees me to laugh in my face and call me short," you cross your arms, frowning. "Why can't Yamaguchi sleep with him? They've known each other for longer and Tsukishima _likes_ Yamaguchi. Or at least tolerates him a lot better than me."

"We've already paired him with Tanaka," Sawamura explains. 

"...do you enjoy torturing me, Captain?" you smile humorlessly, your expression filled with hopelessness. 

"E-eh? No, I just..."

"I'm just kidding," you pinch the bridge of your nose, and sigh. "For you, Sawamura-buchou, I guess I'll have to. However," your humorless grin darkens, and you glare at the opposite wall, "I'm warning you now; if he pisses me off, I can't guarantee his safety or personal health." Sawamura smiles sheepishly. 

...

"I can't believe I'm paired with you, Dumbass Hinata!"

"Shut it, Bakayama! The same could be said to you!" 

"I'll gladly switch," you say, helping them put out the futons. The room the team is staying is rather small for a team of thirteen, like Sawamura said, but there are dividers in the center, for whatever it's worth. 

"Who's your partner, [Last]-senpai?" Hinata asks as you toss him a pillow. Your face twists as if you ate something sour. 

"...Tsukishima..." you mutter. Just thinking about it makes you want to strangle something, probably him. 

"Ack... sorry, anyone but him," Hinata apologizes. You sigh. 

"Ah well, it was worth a shot. Kageyama?"

"Uh... Sorry," he says, "Even Dumbass Hinata is better..." the confession makes him grimace, like he's stepped in something foul.

"I don't know if I should be happy about that..." 

At dinner, you're seated between Sugawara and Nishinoya, who appears to be leaking fat crocodile tears (along with Tanaka) over the food that Kiyoko and Takeda-sensei cooked--though you were sure it was mostly because she was wearing an apron when the team arrived.

You reach for some fried chicken, but before you can grab a piece, a familiar and _infuriatingly_ obtrusive hand knocks your chopsticks out of the way. Your narrowed eyes snap up to meet Tsukishima's lazy, amused ones, and he smirks at you. 

"Oh, sorry, [Last]-san," _god_ , you want to sock him in the jaw, just once, "your hand is so small, I didn't see it," Tsukishima sneers haughtily, and your grip tightens so much on your chopsticks you feel the cheap wood begin to snap. 

"Tsukishima, stop provoking, [Last]. [Last], don't listen to him," Sawamura scolds lightly. Tsukishima throws one last smug snort in your direction before going back to eating his food. 

"You should respect your senpai more!" Nishinoya shots Tsukishima a disapproving frown as he shovels rice in his face. 

"It's no use Noya, there's no way you're gonna get through that thick skull," you scowl at the blonde, who merely snickers at you. 

"I think the one with the thick skull is the senpai who can't seem to grow taller than his thick-skulled kouhai."

"W-what?! You wanna fight?!" Hinata thrusts his chopsticks in Tsukishima's direction, indignant. 

"Enough! You four, calm down or you'll be running laps soon!"

"Eugh... yes, Captain..."

...

You pull out your bathroom things along with the other first years, since the third years were talking with Coach Ukai. "Try not to snore tonight, okay, [Last]-san?" Tsukishima smirks as he takes out his own towel and bathroom necessities. 

"Tsukki..." Yamaguchi warns him quietly, but the blonde ignores him. You hear him shift on the futon--your shared futon, and can hear the smirk when he next speaks. 

"It's pretty late, are you sure practice hasn't gone past your bedtime--"

"Stuff it, _Hotaru-kun_ ," you grit your teeth, a grimace-like smile twitching on your lips. You see him stiffen, and he sends an unamused glare in your direction, but you narrow your eyes back at him. You grab your towel and stalk out of the room, followed by Hinata and Kageyama closely after. 

The hot water from the bath helps relax you a little, but you can't help grumbling, still in a bad mood from earlier. "Seriously, what's his issue?" you grumble, dragging your shampoo-covered fingers through your hair with more force than necessary. "The brat pisses me off so much... who does he think he is?" 

"[Last]-san, do you hate him?" Hinata asks, soap dripping off of his wet orange hair. 

"Urgh... I don't _hate_ him," you say with some reluctance, "but if he were better behaved I would like him much more." 

In the bathroom, you listen to the others splash around. "Man, the bath feels great after practice!" Noya says, leaning back against the edge of the large bath. You stand, intent on joining them, when you slip on something--probably thin air--and land flat on your face. 

"I guess in addition to being a shrimp you're also pretty clumsy, eh?" You can _hear_ the smirk in Tsukishima's stupid voice. You slam your hands against the floor, pushing yourself up and glaring, though you feel your eyes water, and the way his smirk deepens says your angry expression has no real heat. 

"Tsukki..." Yamaguchi says weakly, but Tsukishima's already walking away, a snicker on his lips. 

"That bastard..." you huff, stomping back over to the shover heads. 

"Ah...! [Last]-san! Watch out for--"

"Uwah!"

"That bucket..."

...

Tsukishima's already lying on the futon when you enter the room, and you grimace, wishing you could have switched with someone after all. Nevertheless, you grit your teeth and settle down next to him, immediately turning your back to him. 

"[Last]-san! Do you wanna see the game that I bought?"

"Oooh! Yeah, show me, Hinata!"

"If you have enough energy to play games," Tsukishima turns towards you, "maybe you need to work harder during practice?" Your fist clenches around your pillow; you're so tempted to hit him, just _once_...

"Oi, don't fight, we're gonna turn out the lights," Sawamura calls out. People wander over to their respective futons, and you lie on your back, staring at the ceiling. The room goes dark and your teammates bid each other goodnight. Minutes go by before you hear the soft snores from Hinata and Nishinoya. It's quiet, not the kind of quiet where you can feel people's thoughts, like in assembly or in class; no, this quiet is the kind that feels more fragile than glass, like just your breathing--no, your _heartbeat_ would disturb it. 

You try to clear your throat quietly, but the sound is like a gunshot, and you wince. "What are you thinking about?" you jump when Tsukishima's voice--oddly quiet but fitting for how late it is, sounds next to you. 

"It... it's none of your business," you scowl, turning on your side, away from him. 

"Whatever," he grumbles, and you hear him turning as well. Soon, the shock of Tsukishima talking to you, without any insults, no less, wears off, and you're left once more staring into the darkness, waiting for sleep to gradually take over. At least, you would, except...

...You feel Tsukishima pulling hard on the blanket, and with a scowl, you tighten your grip on it, trying hard not to shake with the amount of effort you're using to keep him from taking it. Unfortunately--it really pains you to admit it--you're not strong enough, and with a muffled grunt and a seemingly _extra_ strong pull, the blanket is ripped from your fingers, leaving them tingling. "Oi, Tsukishima," you hiss, "you're hogging the blanket." 

Your muttering receives no response, and if he wasn't sleeping inches from the wall you'd get on the other side of him and steal the blanket right back. Poking him with your foot yields no different outcome either, so you curse him in your mind, turning away from him with an angry sigh, curling up as much as possible. 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the lodge has air conditioning, and though you're grateful not to be sweaty and sleeping next to the irritating blonde, no blanket means you have to nuzzle as far down as you can in the futon and hopefully adjust to the chilly temperature. 

It's hard to sleep, you realize, when you're shivering so much. Occasionally, you turn onto your opposite side with a small sigh of relief that you can warm your frozen side with the heat from your non-frozen side. Still, whenever you rotate to the side that faces Tsukishima's back, you glare heatedly at it, wishing looks _did_ kill. 

The minute tick by, and you're dozing in and out of sleep, woken up by spontaneous shivers. You know practice tomorrow is going to make you suffer as a result of your lack of sleep, but you're thinking of excuses as to why you'll be sleep deprived. You try rolling on your back and staring at the ceiling until you fall asleep, but the air conditioning turns on, and the lack of blanket leaves you defenseless to the gentle, cruel wafts of cold air. 

You're not sure how much time passes before you're writhing numbly, lethargic, cold and half-dead. You're so tired you've forgotten where exactly you were, and when you turn to the left instead of the right, and lean against something warm, you feel yourself relax immediately. A familiar scent fills your nose, and you press yourself close to the source of warmth. In fact, the warmth is such a relief that you're asleep within moments, unable to feel the sensation of a blanket being thrown over you. 

...

When you wake up, Tsukishima is gone, and you sigh in relief, throwing your arm over the empty space on the futon. "[Last]! Don't fall asleep again! We're gonna start practice soon!" 

"Ahhh... early practice is going to be the death of me..." you mumble, forcing yourself to sit up. 

"Ahaha! [Last], what's with that bedhead?!" You hear Nishinoya laugh. 

"Noya, shut up," you mumble sleepily, though there's no real threat in the tone of your voice. 

"[Last]! If you're not ready in five minutes you'll be running ten laps!"

"Ack! I-I'm getting there!"

...

"Hinata, Kageyama, right before the quick..."

"Asahi-san, try to imagine the ball before the serve..."

You drink as much water as you can during the break, sucking down the cool liquid through your parched throat. 

"Drinking water won't help you grow, Shorty." Your teeth gnaw on the spout, shooting a glare in Tsukishima's direction. He smirks, daring you to retort, and you almost do, but instead you turn on your heels and walk over to Sugawara. 

"Oh, Tanaka, pass me that water bottle, will you?" 

"Sure! It's gonna go flying, so be careful--"

You turn at the right time, and freeze, eyes widening as the bottle flies right towards you. "Uwah--" You raised your arms in front of your face, blocking the immediate impact, but the bottle cap flew off, and you cried out in shock as the cold water splashes all down your front. 

"[Last], sorry!" You hear Tanaka shout as Sugawara hands you a towel. 

"Ah, don't worry about it, accidents happen," you smile, wiping your face and hair. "Hm... but what should I do? I don't have another shirt..." Tanaka claps his hands together in apology. 

"Oh, I have an extra shirt you can use," Sugawara says, and you turn to him, eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Really?! Thank you, Sugawara-san!" He laughs slightly, waving his hand at you. 

"Don't worry about it; I don't want you to catch a cold." You smile widely in response. 

"Right!"

You pull out Sugawara's bag, back in the room with all of the folded futons. You see he has a few folded up, clean t-shirts, and pull one out. "Yikes... it's so much bigger..." you sigh. "Why am I short?" You pull off the wet shirt, making a note to hang it up to dry. Tugging Sugawara's shirt over your head and relishing the dryness, you're in the middle of zipping his bag shut when you hear someone snicker. 

"Isn't it nice to have someone like Sugawara-san watching out for you." You hear the smirk in Tsukishima's speech, as you had countless times before. 

"...what's that supposed to mean?" you ask, fist slowly clenching around the fabric of Sugawara's bag. 

"I suppose it's only natural that people have to pick up after your clumsiness--"

"Is that the only reason why you came here?" you ask shortly, pushing Sugawara's bag back against the wall. "Man, can you stop being pissy for once when we're not even on the court?" 

"And who's the one responding to me?" He asks. You grit your teeth. 

" _God_ , you're so annoying!" You stand, crossing your arms and walking over to where he's standing by the doorway. His scowl deepens as he watches you tug on the hem of your shirt. "Geez, maybe I should have asked Noya for a shirt."

"Not that it'd fit, anyways." 

You growl. "If you hate me, just tell me to my face!" You grit out, almost stamping your foot in frustration. You clench your fists so hard your knuckles turn white and they shake.  " _God_ , you're so irritating! Why beat around the bush, eh? Just tell me you hate me so I can ignore you properly--" 

His hand flies towards your face, and you wince, expecting the pain of him hitting you. When his palm slams against the doorway, you jump, taking a step back, anger melting away slightly. "Wh-what?" you ask, looking up at him, eyes wide in surprise. 

He stalks towards you, and you back away. "You," he begins, and it's not as if you don't already know how tall he is, but in that moment when you're backing away, he's looming over you with such intensity you feel as if you have no choice but to back away. Your back hits the wall and you jump, eyeing him warily as he closes the distance between the two of you, "...are so annoying," he finishes, and you're about to retort, about to tell him off for being a jerk, when he raises his hand and flicks you, hard in the center of your forehead. 

"Ow!" Your hands fly up to cover the spot, and you glare at him. "What the hell, Tsukishima?" You demand. He raises his eyebrow at you, crossing his arms. 

"You're so dense, [Last]-san," he says. Your mouth falls open, but you nearly choke on your own spit.

"Wait, _'-san'_? Not 'Shorty'?" You gape. 

"Do you prefer to be called nicknames?" Tsukishima smirks, "Or maybe you're just a masochist."

"You...!" you raise your fist, biting your lip angrily. "Whatever, Sawamura-san is going to wonder where we are," you say, trying to step around him.

His hand slams against the wall next to you, making you flinch, and he leans closer, opening his mouth to say something, but then he scowls, glaring down at you. His glare is strange, though. Rather than glaring _at_ you, he's more glaring _towards_ you, as if you're not the actual reason he's angry. 

"Y-you're frowning more than Kageyama," you say, tilting your head. He reaches up, swiftly flicking your forehead once more. 

"Even you can be cute sometimes," he says, before stepping away from you. You blink rapidly. Did... he just call you _cute_?

"H-hey," you say, "you're not feeling sick, are you? Maybe the heat's getting to you... don't you need to sit out?" And he frowns at you, before rolling his eyes.

"Don't fall behind, Shorty," he says, walking out of the door and back towards the direction of the gym. 

"Tsukishima, you--!"

...

Practice ends a little earlier than usual, probably because it's the last day, and though you're tired and can't feel your limbs for the most part, the bath helps you relax, and you offer to help Kiyoko and Takeda make dinner. 

"But you must be tired," Kiyoko says uncertainly. You grin. 

"Don't worry, Kiyoko-san! I actually feel quite awake after the bath!"

"Oh... okay. Well, we're thinking about making curry, do you know how?" she asks curiously. You nod, going to the fridge to get out some carrots.

"Leave it to me!"

"Ah! Oh no," Takeda fumbles with a pot of water, some of it spilling over the edge. 

"I'll get a mop," you say. 

"Ah... sorry," he apologizes. 

"Ah! [Last]-san, are you going to cook?!" You hear Hinata from outside the door. You nod, smiling at him, shutting the fridge. 

"You bet! I'm actually pretty confident in my cooking skills," you say. Hinata's eyes sparkle.

"Senpai, you're so cool!" You blink, taken aback.

"No, really, I..." 

"Please do your best not to poison us, okay?" Tsukishima says as he passes by the kitchen. Your grip on the carrot tightens, your brief good mood instantly gone. 

"Whatever, you can starve for all I care," you turn away, walking toward the sink. 

"Wait, [Last], the water--" Kiyoko says, but it's too late. Your foot slips out from under you, and with a cry of shock, you stumble back, hop a few times, and fall over, body tense with the fear of hitting the table or counter. You're bracing yourself for the impact, watching the room around you spin, when you fall--

\--right into Tsukishima's arms. He stumbles slightly, but keeps you upright, and you instinctively grab onto his arm, heart racing with adrenaline. Slowly, you turn your head to look up at him. It might have been a trick of the light, or maybe you're just tired, but you could have sworn you saw his expression soften just a little. 

It's gone in a second, however; you wonder if you were just dreaming when he smirks, that cocky, infuriating smirk once more. "Can you even stand properly?" he snickers, and you're so, so close to stomping on his foot. 

"Ahh, [Last]-kun, are you alright?" Takeda asks, and you nod, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, the water..."

"Don't mind, Takeda-sensei, I was just going to get a mop," you said. Blinking, you realize Tsukishima is still supporting you, and you flail slightly before straightening yourself, sending him a wary frown before walking away.

"Shorty, is that how you treat your savior?" he sneers. You freeze. "That's not setting a very good example, is it~?"

"...thank you," you whisper under your breath. Tsukishima hums, leaning in with his hand cupped behind his ear. 

"What's that? I didn't hear you," he says lightly, his infamous smirk on his face. Dammit, he's enjoying this.

"...thank you," you say, a bit louder, hating the way he's looking down at you. 

"Hm? I really don't know what you're saying," he smirks.

"I said thank you! You jerk!" you push him in the direction of the door. "Now get _out_! Go take a bath or something!" He snickers, walking away, and you watch him go, wondering why you can still feel your heart throbbing harder than usual.

... 

Dinner (mostly) goes off without a hitch, and you find yourself flushing whenever someone complements your curry. Tsukishima's face is as unpleasant as ever, and he scowls deeper when you raise an eyebrow at him, confused as to why he looks so angry. 

"Ahh... I can't believe we're leaving so soon..." Hinata sighs as he helps you and Asahi lay out the futons. "I wish we could play more!" He cried out, flailing his arms around. 

"I-I do too, Hinata, let's calm down, okay?" Asahi said sheepishly. 

"It's not like we can't play more when we get back to school," you tell the jumping orange-haired boy. "Coach Ukai will probably want us to have some sort of practice match when we get back, anyways."

"Ohh! You're right, [Last]-san! I can't wait for tomorrow!" Hinata all but yells. You chuckle, then frown, your shoulders slumping. 

"[Last]? What's the matter?" Asahi asks as you sigh. 

"No, well... you turn to him, a dead, flat look on your face. "To be honest, I don't know if I can make it through the night."

"Ah, you're sleeping next to Tsukishima, right?" Asahi smiles slightly. "I think you'll be fine. It's just one more night, right?"

"Urgh... I guess so." Since Tsukishima isn't here, you're the first to lie on the futon, keeping an extra handful of the blanket just in case he tries to steal it again. You stay close to the wall, knowing that at least you can kick Tsukishima off of the futon if he starts being a brat. 

You don't hear the door slide open, but you jump when you feel him lie down heavily next to you. "Oh? I see it really is past your bedtime, Shorty." Tsukishima sneers. You want to kick him so _badly_. Instead, you turn to the wall, shutting your eyes and praying for sleep to take you. 

However, it seems like hours pass and you're not asleep. Though the others are sleeping, some snoring rather loudly, you can't find yourself in the right mindset or position to join them. You stare at the lines in the wall, listen to other people breathing. 

You feel Tsukishima turn, and you know he's turned towards you because you can feel his breathing, though barely, tickling the nape of your neck. You want to tell him to stop--to stop breathing? Yeah right. You tried to ignore it, instead distracting yourself by drawing patterns on the wall, by trying to fall asleep, but as the minutes pass you swear the breathing gets... heavier. In fact, it's no longer just breathing, but a thin _stream_ of air is hitting the back of your neck, and you twitch. 

"Can you not--" you grit out. The air stops, and you sigh, relieved. Then you hear it. A quiet, slight snicker. 

"Is something bothering you, _Shorty_?" Tsukishima asks, and you freeze, because his voice is inches from your ear, because even though you're not touching, you can _feel_ him looming over you. And more than that, though you ought to be used to it, you feel so _small_. You try to scoot closer to the wall to put some space between the two of you. 

"What's up with you?" you mumble. "You're cornering me a lot today." He snickers.

"Your reactions can amuse me a little, at least." You growl, turning around to face him--

\--that familiar, dull liquid gold stares back at you, even through the darkness. Your breathing falters, whatever comeback you're about to throw at him disappears. You can feel the slight puffs of his breath against your cheek, you can feel your heart thud and you're _sure_ he can feel it as well. At the very least, he can feel the heat from your face as your cheeks flush deep red, barely visible in the darkness but you see him smirk anyways, lips pulling back as he watches your expression. 

In a flash, you turn away from him again, one hand pressed against your mouth and the other gripping your wrist. You can feel your own pulse clearly, can feel the blood pounding in your ears. "I-I thought you'd prefer to just hate me," you whispered through your fingers. 

There's a pregnant silence before he speaks again. "I don't hate you," Tsukishima's voice is quiet, so quiet you have to strain to hear him, despite the closeness, despite the silence. "Sure, you're annoying and distracting," you grit your teeth, "but I never hated you." 

You blink, before turning your neck to look over your shoulder, raising an eyebrow at him. "...'Distracting'?" you repeat. 

Tsukishima looks at you; his eyes are calm, steady, and you're so _painfully_ aware that your bodies are just barely touching. "You really are dense," he whispers, before leaning forward. You barely have time to blink before his lips brush against your forehead. Your heart, breathing, _thinking_ stops in that quick, tender moment. 

When he pulls away, you see just the slightest pout on his face, and looking closer, his cheeks, while they're not as red as yours, have a darker tinge to them. "Tsu--" you hardly dare talking, "Tsukishima..." he turns on his side, and you gape. 

"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, [Last]-san," he says. Several very loud seconds pass before you fully turn to face him, reaching forward with a trembling hand to grasp his shirt. You feel him tense slightly, but maybe your shaking has thrown off your deduction a little. 

"...me too," you whispered, centimeters from his back, "I never hated you. E-even though you're cocky and irritating, I never hated you." You say, your fist hurts from clenching so hard, but you're only focused on Tsukishima, on the heat of his body against your hand, the heat of your own face. Another stretch of silence that makes you aware of your own nerves, and you're worried he's fallen asleep, or worse; he's going to say it was all a joke. 

Neither of those things happen. When he turns, his shirt is ripped from your grasp, and you only have time to gasp slightly before you feel an arm being thrown over you. 

"You know, [Last]-san, you're actually quite docile when it's late. Are you out of steam?"

"You..." your fist is shaking, and you growl slightly. "I'm going to have wrinkles at a young age because of you." He snickers.

"I think it's too late to worry about wrinkles." 

"Why you..." 

By the time you feel yourself beginning to calm down, and your eyelids are feeling heavier by the second. At least, until...

"By the way," Tsukishima says, and you look up at him tiredly, freezing at the sadistic, dark smile on his face. "I never got back at you for calling me _Hotaru-kun_ , did I?"

You gulp.

...

The next morning, you're woken up by furious whispering. "Should we wake them?"

"I don't know, I don't really want to die..."

"Ryuu! Picture! Get a picture!"

"Idiot, shut up! They're going to wake up!" Blinking tiredly, you look out of the corner of your eye, seeing other members of the team crowded around you. You feel heavy, like there's a weight keeping you from moving. 

"Oh, he's awake." Your head tilts to the side, blinking slowly. 

"...What's going on?" you ask, voice thick with sleep.

"O-oh! Nothing much, right, Sawamura?"

"R-right..." You look around, catching words like "amazing" and "bedhead". Glancing down, you freeze, seeing Tsukishima still asleep, curled up next to you. Five, six, seven seconds pass before your mouth falls open. 

"Th-this isn't--!" You wave your arms. "It's not what it looks like!" The others are staring at you with pleased faces. Your cheeks feel like they're on fire. "D-don't look at me like that! We uh--" your mind is racing to find the right words, "Like, it wasn't voluntary! No, not at all! I move around a lot in my sleep and he was there and--!"

"If you would all..." Tsukishima pushes himself off the futon, "...kindly leave," he glares at everyone, who trip over one another while backing away.

"Ack! T-Tsukishima! When did you--?"

"I've been awake for a while," he scowls, feeling around for his glasses.

"W-well..." Sawamura says, "We're, ah... getting ready to leave, so..." Tsukishima sighs. 

"Yeeees," he drones, and you scramble onto your feet, unable to look anyone in the eye with your cheeks burning so hot. 

The rest of the morning goes by rather quickly as you all gather your things and put away the futons. After one last call to check for anything left behind, people begin bringing their stuff onto the bus. The morning air was calm, and you felt almost relaxed, except... 

"Let's go, [Last]-chan," Tsukishima says, smug smirk just a little smugger than usual. 

"Did you just call him..."

"...'[Last]- _chan_ '?" 

You wanted to die. If hell existed, this is what it would feel like. Tsukishima tilts his head, waiting expectantly. 

"W... woof, woof," you choke out, face hot enough to cook an egg. 

Silence, before Nishinoya and Tanaka burst out with uproarious laughter. The others gape between you and Tsukishima, jaws dropped. If it were winter, you were sure the others would be able to see the steam rising from your face. Tsukishima snickers. 

"Good boy~"

 _You really wanted to sock him once_.


	10. haikyuu!: yamaguchi tadashi x reader

"Yamaguchi, you're cute." 

You supposed it wasn't fair of you to say those words just so you could see him fluster, but you couldn't help it; he really _was_ a cutie. With his soft, floppy hair and his freckles, his soft voice and demeanor, you often found yourself picking him out from the crowd of other students. It wasn't too difficult, you realized, because he usually stood next to Tsukishima; the blonde boy that was tall enough to tower over nearly everyone in the school. 

No matter how many times you teased Yamaguchi, his flustered expression never ceased to be--well, _cute_. Hence, you watched with great satisfaction as his cheeks, splashed with those cute freckles, turned a dark red. "Wha-what? I'm not--no I mean," he stutters, looking anywhere but your face. 

You shrug, "I'm just telling the truth. I think you're really cute Yamaguchi." He seems to deflate, lowering his head so you can't see as much of the redness as before. 

As much as you liked teasing Yamaguchi, you weren't even sure if you _liked_ him; you just liked seeing his embarrassed expressions. "Yamaguchi. Let's go," you crane your neck to see Tsukishima, his lunchbox in his hand. You pout, and Yamaguchi stands quickly, the feet of his chair scraping against his floor. 

"B-bye, [Last]-san," he coughs out, before following Tsukishima to the door. You hear only a fragment of their next conversation, ("Why is your face so red?") before the pair disappear down the hall. Sighing, you lean back in your chair, the source of your entertainment having been taken away. When your friends pull up chairs next to your desk, you jump into conversations with them, almost all thoughts of the blushing freckled boy pushed from your mind. 

In fact, Yamaguchi's presence is so easily lost (but not forgotten) in your mind you didn't even know he played volleyball, much less a sport. He seemed like the type of person who would be much more into art; he looked good in the smock you all were required to wear in class. So when you caught mentions of inter-high prelims and after school late practice, you jump out of your seat, staring wide-eyed at the startled boy. 

"Wait, you play _volleyball_?" you ask incredulously. Tsukishima's mouth flattens in a thin line, and Yamaguchi looks uncomfortably off to the side, unsure of how to deal with you practically leaning on his desk. "Why didn't you say something?" you demand, not really waiting for him to answer your previous question. 

"Well, you... never asked," he says, finally meeting your eyes. 

"That's so freaking _cool_!" you burst out, jumping on the balls of your feet. "I've never really played volleyball except for P.E., and I can't even hit it that well. My arms get really red, you know? What position do you play?" 

"I'm a-a middle blocker," he says. Your attention is so focused on Yamaguchi, you don't notice Tsukishima staring at you, eyes trained on your every move. "And a pinch server," he adds belatedly. 

"I totally have no idea what that means," you say bluntly, and he slumps a little in his chair, "but that sounds freaking awesome! So if you're a... pinch server," you test the words out, "then what, do you go around like... pinching people?" 

Tsukishima lets out a snort, and you look up to see him sneering at you. You blink, having completely forgotten he was there. "Idiot. Are you sure you should be in Class 4?" he smirks at your stupidity. You frown, one eyebrow raises as the other lowers. 

"Look here mister," you jab a finger in his direction, "just because we can't all be super duper smart like you--" you ignore his ("We're all supposed to be smart, this is a preparatory class") and wave your finger at him, "Besides, I bet even you didn't know what some of the positions were when you first started out." 

Tsukishima rolls his eyes, "I've known for longer than you have, idiot" You don't hear him though; as your attention is once again focused on Yamaguchi. 

"So what's practice like? Are there any other first years? Are the third years scary?" you ask, sitting down in your seat and twisting yourself so you're looking back at Yamaguchi. "I've never seen volleyball being practiced before. Maybe I should drop by--"

"Don't--" Yamaguchi cuts you off hastily, forcefully. "It's not... worth it," he says, and you tilt your head, confused. You blink, confused as to why he sounds like he's in pain, why he's glaring at the surface of his desk. 

You open your mouth to say something, but the bell rings, and the door rattles open as the teacher walks in. People shuffle back to their seats, and you're forced to turn around, though you don't want to, not with Yamaguchi glaring at his desk, not with a twinge of guilt in your chest. 

The day ends without you saying another word to Yamaguchi, and your mind is racing. Should you go see them practice anyways and risk Yamaguchi being mad? Or should you not go and not risk him being upset with you for a day or so. You decide on the former; it couldn't hurt just to take a peak. 

You shove your books and papers into your bag, intent on doing your part of after school cleaning quickly so you can see them practice. If the other students notice your eagerness, they don't say anything, and you're the first person to leave the classroom, gleefully running in the direction of the gym. Even with the doors closed you can hear the thumps of volleyballs being hit, the squeak of sneakers against the floor. Looking around the building, you're not tall enough to see through the windows without standing on your tiptoes, but you spot a short stack of crates and drag them over to the nearest window. 

What you see takes your breath away. You don't know the immediate number of people in the gym, but you see volleyballs scattered all around the floor, and you can _feel_ the intensity they're practicing with, even though you're looking in from outside. Your fingers clutch the rim of the window, you stare, wide-eyed as one by one they dive, crouch, and race forward towards the net. And then you spot him; Yamaguchi. He's standing a few feet away from the court, clutching a volleyball in his hands. His hair is damp with sweat but what you see, what catches your attention is the intense look of focus in his eyes. 

It's a Yamaguchi you've never seen before. Usually he's smiling or talking with Tsukishima, not at all looking upset or disgruntled, but here he looks _strong_. He looks dependable, and you feel your heart swell and your fingers clutch at your shirt, gripping the fabric tightly as you watch him. He misses some receives, stumbles a little, and his serves don't always go over the net, but he looks so freaking _cool_ that his mistakes don't even register with you. 

"Crap... he's so _cool_ ," you whisper, kneeling on the boxes and muffling the excited giggle that comes from your mouth. 

However, you don't really get a chance to talk to him about volleyball, as he goes to inter-high prelims, and you find yourself missing Yamaguchi (and Tsukishima, even if just a little for his sass). When you next see them, though, Yamaguchi's changed. He spaces out a little more, and sometimes you'll catch him with a hopeless look on his face. 

"Yamaguchi?" he jumps, as if he's forgotten you were there entirely. 

"Oh, [Last]-san," he says, voice slightly dazed. 

"Are you okay?" you ask. "You seem down lately." He nods, a look of surprise on his face. 

"Oh, it's..." he catches himself, "it's nothing." You frown at him, but the bell rings for lunch, and he stands, quickly walking out of the classroom. You watch him leave, your frown deepening. 

That day, after school, you wait for him. You have no idea how long volleyball practice goes on, since the nights aren't as cold anymore, you don't really mind waiting outside. It's almost seven by the time you see people walking towards the gate, and thanks to Tsukishima's head of blonde hair, you spot Yamaguchi walking next to him. 

"Yamaguchi!" you call out, waving. Two of his teammates, one with a shaved head and the other with two different colored hair jump at the sight of you, staring wide-eyed from you to Yamaguchi. "Oh, Tsukishima, you don't mind if I borrow Yamaguchi tonight do you?"

"What?" Tsukishima raises his eyebrows. 

"Y-Yamaguchi, is she...?" someone whispers. 

"A confession?!" Yamaguchi's face is bright red. 

"No! She's in my class!" He hurries over to you. "What do you need?" You smile up at him widely. 

"Can we walk home together?" The rest of his team (aside from Tsukishima) gasp. "Tsukishima you'll be okay walking alone, right? I don't think anyone would try to rob you or anything," you smile wider. 

"Why?" Tsukishima frowns. You pout.

"You wouldn't let a _lady_ walk home by herself, would you?"

"Where exactly is the lady?" he mutters. 

"Now, now, Tsukishima-kun~" two of his teammates drag him away. "Let's give them some alone time, okay?" You watch him get pulled away, followed by the rest of his teammates, all glancing at you over their shoulders. 

"Let's go, Yamaguchi!" you grab his wrist. "I have something to ask you, so don't run away, okay?"

"O-Okay..." he says, and you smile at him, letting go of his wrist so you can walk beside each other. There's a comfortable silence (for you, at least; you can see Yamaguchi giving you nervous glances from time to time). 

"So I heard you guys had a game. Inter high prelims, or something like that," you say. 

"Y-yeah," you glance up at him. He's looking down at the road. 

"Isn't it okay that you didn't win? I mean, you'll get another chance to play against them, right?" you ask. He clenches his fist. 

"It's not like that," he mutters. 

"Then what is it like?" you ask, "Even if they beat you this time, it's not totally over--"

"What do you know?" He demands, stopping in his tracks. You stop as well, a few steps in front of him. "Everyone tried their hardest, but it still--" he stops himself. "It was my fault," he whispered. You see his fist shaking. "They counted on me, and yet I--" his eyes are shimmering, and you realize, horrified, that his eyes are damp. "It doesn't matter if we play them again!" he raises his head and glares, but not at you. "If I had only made that point, then we probably could have won!" He lowers his head again, shoulders trembling. 

Your eyes, which were wide when he was yelling, narrow slightly, and your whole body turns to face him. "Are you weak?" he freezes, and slowly looks up at you, hurt flashing in his eyes. 

"What--"

"Does missing a point make you weak?" you ask, frowning. You step forward, and he responds by stepping back. "Listen to me, Yamaguchi. If you did get the point, what would happen then? There's no way you would know if getting the point would have made you guys win," you say. "Next time, get them back tenfold!" You stare up at him, face set in determination. "It's only the beginning, right? You're still evolving, so don't be too hard on yourself. Besides..." you smile cheerfully, taking a couple steps back. "Whenever you master that pitch serve of yours, I bet it'll be a real killer." 

Yamaguchi blinks, before laughing, holding his sides as you tilt your head slightly. "It's not a pitch serve, it's a _pinch_ serve," he says. You pout.

"So what if I don't know it completely, it's not like I play volleyball like you guys," you turn away from him, crossing your arms. 

You feel a hand ruffle your hair slightly, and you look up at Yamaguchi, taken aback. "Thanks, [Last]-san," he smiles. You blink, feeling heat creep up on your cheeks. Yamaguchi flinched slightly, pulling his hand away. "A-ah, and for the support, uh... thanks," he said, starting to walk again. You watch him, placing a hand over your heart. "Don't get left behind," he calls back, and you chase after him, a bashful smile on your face. 

"Right!"

...

You're not really sure when you find it harder to look Yamaguchi in the face, or when you feel embarrassed when he asks you if you have a fever when your cheeks are red. You're not really sure when it was normal for you to peek in at his practice, just to see him with a determined expression on his face. 

The first time he catches you watching them practice, you run away. The second time, you poke your head through the door, smiling sheepishly. "[Last]-chan," Yamaguchi sighs. Your heart jumped a little; after the night where he walked you home, he started adding '-chan' to your name and not '-san'. 

"Forgive me?" you smile, clapping your hands together in an apology. "I was really, _really_ curious!"

"Ah! You're that girl Yamaguchi walked home!"

"Oi, Tanaka, that's rude!" 

You step inside the gym hesitantly, smiling as the players stopped to look at you. "Oh! Kiyoko-senpai! I had no idea you played volleyball, too!"

"No, I'm the manager." 

Yamaguchi watches you move around the gym, eyes wide as you observe the others play. "Uwaaah! Amazing!" you breathe. "So cool! Even cooler up close!" 

"Hey, hey, [Last]-chan, what do you think of us?" the boy called Hinata ask, his eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. 

"I think you're all amazing! Though I still don't really get the positions, it's cool! Insane!" you say. Hinata's grin widens. 

"What's insane is your lack of vocabulary," Tsukishima drawls behind you. 

"Tsukishima, despite your personality, you're pretty cool too!" you smile at him. He seems taken aback, and he walks away, muttering ("Whatever") under his breath. "Still, though," your expression turns bashful. "I think Yamaguchi is the coolest," you smile. 

"What?! What about me?" Hinata asks energetically. 

"Your jumps are cool! I never knew someone could jump that high!" 

Hinata, Nishinoya and Tanaka try to grab your attention with their jumps, receives and spikes, but you find yourself drawn to Yamaguchi, to his soft mannerisms and even his flailing. 

After practice that evening, you buy everyone meat buns, and when your fingers brush against Yamaguchi's, you almost drop the bag you're holding. "I-I'll see you all later! I'll go to your semi-finals match! Bye!" you wave hurriedly, ignoring the pointed look Tsukishima sends your way. 

...

The semi-finals creep up faster and faster, and suddenly you're sitting in the Sendai City Gymnasium stands, eyes shining with delight and excitement. "Wow, this amazing!" you breathe. "Oh! I should have asked Yamaguchi what time they started! Aaarghh!" You begin wandering the venue, hoping you'll run into them. When you don't, you hit your head against a wall. "Aaarghh! I really should have gotten the details from Yamaguchi!" Still, you find your way up to the stands, and the first thing that catches your eye is a black banner hanging over the rail, with the word "Fly" written on it. Your eyes move down, and you see some familiar faces, and most importantly... "Yamaguchi," you whisper. 

"Oh, are you here to cheer for Karasuno, too?" someone asks, and you jump, turning to see a lady with short blond hair. 

"Y-yes," you say. She grins. 

"Nice to meet ya. I'm Ryunosuke's older sister," she smiles. 

"I-I'm [Last] [First]. Nice to meet you," you say. Shortly after, you're joined by two more people, one of which inquires if you're supposed to be at school, but you shake it off with a smile. "It'll be okay, it's only a couple days, after all." They seem unconvinced, but you're already briefly scanning the faces of the players. "Oh, Yamaguchi!" you smile. 

"Oh, you know Tadashi?" a man with black hair asks. You nod. 

"Yup! I'm here to support him! Well, the rest of the team, too, but mostly him!" you say, grinning. "The uniform fits him! Uwaahh, he's so _cool_...!" 

"Oh, um," you hear a new voice, and you turn to see a girl wearing a jacket with the words 'Karasuno High School' on it. "Are you also from Karasuno?" she asks. You grin.

"Yep! I'm [Last] [First]!"

"I-I'm Yachi Hitoka. Nice to meet you," she bows her head slightly. 

The match starts, and you can't take your eyes off the court, drawn in the game in a way you never thought possible with sports. You feel adrenaline course through you even though you're not the one playing, and you jump on the balls of your feet. They're shouting things you don't really understand, like "Nice one touch!" and "Nice kill!" ("But I don't see any killing happening?"). That doesn't change the fact that you're completely entranced. 

Your eyes dart nervously to Yamaguchi, wondering if his position as a pinch server will let him play. You're not sure how much time passes, but the score is 23-19 with the other team in the lead. You see Yamaguchi standing on the side, a determined but anxious look on his face, and you feel your heart soar. You watch him switch with Hinata, holding some sort of sign, and you wait eagerly. 

He scores a point, then another, and another, and each time the ball almost doesn't go in your heart jumps in your throat. Damn, he looked so cool, you wished you could be down there with him. His teammates jumped around him excitedly, and when he got his fifth point, you cheered louder than you thought possible. You think back to when he looked down, when he was feeling depressed over not being there for the team, and you look at him now, with a wide, bright smile on his face, and you're so happy you could fly. "Yamaguchi!" you yell with all your might, "Yamaguchi, I love you!" 

When he and the rest of the team walk off the court during a time out, his eyes are wide, searching in the stands until they land on you. He goes from looking confused, to shocked, and then his cheeks are bright red, and suddenly you're wondering why you can't look him in the eye, why your heart is beating so fast. You cover your cheeks with your hands, but you can't stop from smiling, feeling like you could fly.

When you next see Yamaguchi, it's after the day has ended, and you run towards them, along with Saeko, Yachi, and the two other guys. Your heart jumps upon seeing Yamaguchi, and everyone's eyes are a little red, and you assume they've been crying. The two guys, walk over to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, but you talk to the others first, again ignoring the comments of "Shouldn't you be studying?". 

"That was... amazing! It was... incredible!" you jump up and down. Sugawara, Daichi and Asahi smile. "It was... wow!" 

"What's really 'wow' is your lacking vocabulary," you hear Tsukishima drone. 

"Still just as cranky as ever, eh?"

"Since when was I cranky?"

You ignore him in favor of turning to Yamaguchi. His cheeks were pink, and you'd be lying to yourself if you said yours were any better. "You--you were really cool, Yamaguchi!" you say, a shy smile on your face. "Five consecutive points?! That's--"

"Insane?" Tsukishima asks. You glare at him. 

"Amazing! Impressive! Stunning!" you throw adjectives left and right, and with each, Yamaguchi's cheeks grow redder and redder. "I-I don't even know how else to describe it!" you say, feeling blood pounding in your ears.

"I think you've done a passable job so far." Nishinoya and Tanaka drag Tsukishima away.

"Th-thank you," Yamaguchi shuffled his feet. 

"O-oh, um, about what I shouted," you say sheepishly, "I was kind of caught up in the moment. Sorry," you apologize, feeling something squeeze your heart. 

"Oh..." Yamaguchi looks down at the floor. "Don't worry about it," his voice trailed off. Suddenly, you didn't want to be there anymore. Yamaguchi still looks embarrassed, but there were something about his expression that twists something painful in your chest. 

"I... I don't think I'll be able to watch you guys tomorrow," you say quietly, "but I'll be thinking of y--of all of you," you say with a smile. 

"Y-yeah..." he trails off. There was several seconds of awkward silence when you finally took a step back. 

"I, um, I gotta go," you say, "I'll see you later, Yamaguchi!" he nods, and you wave to the rest of the team as you hurry away. 

...

You can barely bring yourself to sleep that night; your thoughts are completely occupied with Yamaguchi. You thought about your outburst, the loud, unwavering declaration of "I love you!" in that huge gym, and in front of his teacher! Not to mention the rest of his teammates! You briefly wondered if he was upset at you for saying something like that, but you shook it off. No, you explained that it was in the heat of the moment; it wasn't you confessing your _love_ , just a very loud, very clear declaration of your admiration for his skill. 

The next day, you had a hard time paying attention to the teacher during class. _'I wonder who they're playing, damn, I should have asked. There were signs everywhere. Are they doing well? Hopefully no one gets hurt,'_ you think. 

"[Last]? Can you read on?" the teacher asks, raising an eyebrow. You stand, cheeks turning pink. 

"Y-yes, sensei! Uh..." you flip through your book. 

"Page fifty-three, third paragraph down," your friend whispers. You turn to the page and began to read. 

It wasn't until much later when you learned of the volleyball team's whereabouts. A faculty member burst into your classroom right after the bell rang for the end of the day, announcing in a breathless voice that the boys volleyball team _won_ the national tournament. You hadn't realized you were crying until someone shoved a tissue into your hands, tears running down their own face. "We-we won?!" students around you gasp. 

"Holy crap, we _won_?!" 

"Hey! When does their tournament end? We need to congratulate them!" 

"The-the ceremony's just started, apparently!" 

Not a single student leaves class or goes to their club activity that evening, as the sky turns orange and they wait, albeit impatiently, for the victors to return. 

When the bus comes into view, people shout at each other from the classrooms, spreading the word. People yank open the windows, cheering and yelling. You run down the stairs so fast you almost trip several times, repeating one word in your mind over and over; _Yamaguchi_. 

There were three girls already there, talking to Sawamura, Daichi, and Asahi, but you focus your gaze on one certain, freckled boy. "Whoa--[Last]-chan--?!" he cries out as you launch at him, wrapping your arms around him. The force of your hug was enough to send him back a few steps. The scent of sweat lingered on his clothes, but you buried your face in his chest anyways. 

Someone whistles, probably Tanaka or Nishinoya, but you ignore them, looking up at Yamaguchi with wide, watery eyes. "Con-congratulations on winning!" 

"[Last]-san! He's not the only one!" Hinata jumps in, but Tanaka grabs him by the collar and dragged him away. 

Yamaguchi looks taken aback, and though he's tired, he gives you a bashful look. "Th-thank you," he said. You nuzzle your face in his jacket.

"I love you, Yamaguchi!" 

"Eh?" he asks, and you feel your blood freeze. Crap, that again. 

"Er, well, it's more of an admiration, you see!" you pull away from him. "Like that time before! Um..." for some reason, you don't want to look in his eyes when you say your 'love' was mere admiration. "It was really cool when you scored those points! I'm really proud, um--"

"That's disappointing, then," Tsukishima calls from behind you, "because Yamaguchi--"

"Tsukki!" the freckled boy interrupts him, cheeks flaming red. You look up at him, confused. 

"Yamaguchi?" you ask. 

"I-it's nothing, um..." he says, not looking you in the eyes. 

"I-I lied!" you suddenly cry out, startling him. "I-I..." and you pause. "In the beginning, I liked calling you cute," you say, and he blushes, "I liked talking to you, and... and watching you play! But..." you bite your lip, "I think... it's more than that, now. And what I said at the game yesterday..." your voice trails off, and you whisper the last part of your speech, "it wasn't just admiration, after all." 

You hear him whisper your name, but you're scared of what he'll say next, how he'll respond to your (almost) confession. "[Last]-chan, I..." you barely hear him, "...Ilikeyoutoo," he says hastily, his cheeks dark. 

Raising your head, you look at him, wide-eyed. "Wh-what?" you ask. 

"I-I like you too--" he says, and you jump at him again, wrapping your arms around him tightly. It's embarrassing, to look at his face, to feel the stares of his teammates, and it's embarrassing to feel the rapid beating of his heart, and for him to feel yours. 

"I like you, Yamaguchi," you whisper, muffled in his jacket. "I really like you," you say, a wide grin spreading across your face. 

A gentle hand cups the back of your head, and you look up at him. His face is as red as yours, and he gives you a wide, shy smile. 

"Yamaguchi, you're cute!"


End file.
